212. WHAT ARE YOU MOST PASSIONATE ABOUT?

(The Information & Edification Series – Batch 4)

Everybody is running after something and is passionate about something. There is ONE THING that we all have that is dear to our heart and that we devote most of our time, attention and effort to.

For some, this one thing is a love relationship or trying to get into a love relationship. For others, it is marriage or trying to get that ring or it is some man or some woman, spouse or boyfriend.

For some, it is finances, investment, money and making more of it, while for others, it is fitness, exercise, eating what is considered to be the ‘right’ foods and preserving good health.

For some it is a job, a business, a career and getting promoted or getting ahead, while for others it is a car, or some other kind of vehicle or gadget, a house, household chores and activities, homemaking, cooking or baking.

Some value family above all else or the children in their family, while for some, the one thing they value most is having a child or trying to have a baby.

For some, their one thing is technology, like video games, social media, their phone and the internet in general but for others, it is music, entertainment, sports, pleasure, fun events, alcohol and sex.

Some hold politics close to their hearts, while for others, it is all about acquiring knowledge, learning as much as possible, pursuing education and getting academic titles.

Others give the highest homage to power, position, influence and affiliation, while others are about beauty, looks, fashion, makeup, facial and body treatments, clothes, jewellery, nails, hair and good skin.

Lastly but not least, although this list is not at all exhaustive, for some, their one thing is popularity, attention and praise (especially public praise) while for others, it is self-love, self-glorification, pursuing self-will and ensuring that self gets whatever self wants.

That which you are most passionate about tends to come out in your speech, as it is the thing you most think of and speak of. It also comes out in the things that you do, where you go and what you make time for, as you are always motivated by it and so centre everything you do, around it.

My question to you at this juncture is what are YOU running after? What or who has YOUR heart? To what do you devote most of your time to or think mostly of? What or who exactly are you obsessed with? What is it in this life that you care most about, spend the most time doing or pursuing and are preoccupied with almost on a daily basis?

This thing (person or persons), has your time and it has your attention. It is SUPER important to you, so much so, that if you were not to have it, you couldn’t imagine how your life would be. Indeed, without it, life, in your opinion, might not even be worth living. You are prepared to make sacrifices for it, to give up much for it, to turn your back on others for it, to lose sleep over it and to go to great lengths for it, to be in favour with it or to acquire or to retain it.

What is this thing or who is this person (or persons)?

What is it that you are most passionate about? Do you see it in the list above or is it something else? This thing (or person/persons) gets you excited or inspired at the very thought of it and you will gladly give of yourself for it.

It is your treasure, so you are careful to nurture it. You attend to it, take care of it, focus on it, love it and so, base your whole life on pursuing after or engaging in it. It even forms part of your identify. You see your whole life as characterized by it, so much so, that if it did not exist or suddenly no longer existed, you would feel lost, as if you had lost your purpose in life, your reason for being.

The Bible says that where your treasure is there will be your heart also (Matthew 6:21) and each person knows himself or herself best and so knows EXACTLY where his or her treasure is.

YOU therefore already have the answer to my question. YOU know where your treasure or devotion is.

For, nobody lives without having something they value most in life. Even the homeless have their valuables, that which they treasure and carry from place to place, even if we consider it to just be trash.

Permit me to say though, that if for you, your treasure or that which you value most and think about most and spend time around the most is not the Lord Jesus Christ, then that which you value the most is AN IDOL. For, you are more devoted to something that was CREATED, than you are your CREATOR.

In the Bible, Martha was cumbered with much serving, considering this to be more important than sitting and learning at the feet of Christ (Luke 10:40-42). Balaam was all about using what he had been gifted with dishonourably, to try to acquire riches and earthly promotion for himself. He therefore disregarded the Lord’s will and found a way to do what he wanted to do to get it (Numbers 22-24; 1:16; 2 Peter 2:15; Jude 1:11; Revelation 2:14; Micah 6:5).

Amnon was all about the lust (which he thought was love), that he had for his half-sister Tamar. All he could think of was having sex with her, to the point where he could not function without this desire being fulfilled. He therefore eventually raped her (2 Samuel 13:1-2).

Judas loved money above all and was therefore always hatching a plan to try to get it, to the point where he decided to even sell out Christ to acquire it (John 12:3-6; Matthew 26:14-16). Similarly, the rich ruler who came to Jesus to ask what he needed to do to be saved, eventually turned away from the presence of the Lord because he valued his riches too much, to ever give them up, as the Lord was telling him to do (Matthew 19:16-22). The Lord Jesus told him that he would have treasure in heaven if he gave up that which he had set his heart upon on earth and followed HIM but alas, his riches being his treasure and him having already set his affection on it, he found it impossible to let it go for Christ.

The question posed can therefore be asked in another way: What is in YOUR heart? Who or what has it?

Some of you may be thinking, well what is the big deal about being passionate about something? Is that a crime? Well, may I put to you, if you have professed to be a believer and to therefore know Jesus Christ as your Lord and your Saviour, that if what is on the highest throne of your heart is not Christ himself, then with the right set of circumstances, you will be willing to sell out Christ for that thing or person. You will be willing to turn your back on truth, pretend you don’t know truth, compromise or bend a little, so as to facilitate this treasured thing or person. Many have done it for a love interest, their children, a career opportunity, promotion, to make money or to gain popularity, so what makes you think that you will be an exception to the general rule?

It is clear from all of the above examples of characters in the Bible that we looked at, that the thing which we love most is what controls us and what will ultimately determine what we do or don’t do. This thing which we love most, dictates our actions and directs our path. It determines the decisions that we will make from day to day and shapes our perspective on life.

You may say as many others do and have done, that Christ is your first love but is He really? What do your actions and thoughts on a daily basis, reveal about the true source of your devotion? What does how you prioritize your time, your finances and your other resources, reveal about what or who you truly value and treasure the most?

Is it truly Christ and his kingdom agenda or is it something or somebody else?

(Written on 24th January, 2022)

Dear Reader, if you found the above Article to be convicting, edifying, beneficial or informative, you may also be interested in reading the following:

Note 189 – ‘How To Have Good Success’
Note 196 – ‘God Is Jealous For His Glory’
Note 214 – ‘I Would Thou Wert Cold Or Hot’

Under the ‘SINGLE Daughters’ Page:

Note 146 – ‘Three Idols In The Church – Getting Married, Having Children And Working A Secular Job’
Note 221 – ‘What Is God Calling You To Cast Out Of Your Life?’
Note 275 – ‘How God Wants Us To Treat With Our Idols’
Note 276 – ‘Are You In Love With Money? People Who Loved Money To Their Detriment, In The Bible’
Note 283 – ‘Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamos – My Humble View On The Letters Of The Glorified Jesus To The Seven Churches – Part I’

Under the ‘BROKEN Daughters‘ Page:

Note 6 – ‘Backslidden? Idolatry Is The Culprit’

Under the ‘MARRIED Daughters’ Page: