Passion is Compelling.  John 7.37-39

I am praying for you, you know.  Praying that at the start of this New Year, you will want more …more of God in your life ~ in all ways.  Paul prayed for his beloved Ephesians, “I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being…” concluding with, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory…” 

Yesterday, as I sat around the conference table with my corporate brothers, reflecting on where we had been with God in 2014, and where we would like to grow in God in 2015, the conversation was really honest and humbling at points, and certainly stimulating.  And one thing I noted, when we are complacent, we do not grow; when we allow ourselves to focus more on the things of this world than the things of God, we lose ourselves somehow, and we certainly do not grow.  I heard it said once the enemy of more is satisfaction.  God cannot do, in Paul’s words, immeasurably more in us if we are satisfied with ourselves spiritually.  God wants us hungry for him; in fact, God empowers the passionate with himself.

John writes in chapter seven:  “On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.” He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been received because Jesus had not yet been glorified.” John 7.37-39

Do you have streams of living water flowing out of you?  Or are you running on empty, or is your tank just pleasantly topped off?  Consider what Jesus said once more, “The one who believes in Me … will have streams of living water flow(ing) from deep within him.”  Jesus refers then to the work of the Holy Spirit, who would come after him.

Christian, you and I have the vantage point of Jesus’ teaching on the one hand, and the impartation of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, God’s gift to his children, and the source of the living water within the follower of Jesus Christ.  In addition, we have Paul’s teaching that equips and informs us about the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives!  But still the enemy of more is satisfaction.   

Here’s the thing:  you and I can fully believe that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life…and have surrendered our wills to him.  You and I can have the Holy Spirit living within us to lead, guide, correct, woo, comfort and convict … and because we are satisfied with ourselves, miss out on the dynamic part of Christian living.  Instead of the promised rivers of living water, we live with just drops of water.  We miss out on the more that God wants for us.  We miss out on the more that he has for us. 

After having been personally knocked to the ground with this revelation, I realized that the streams of living water Jesus was talking about—from the well of the Holy Spirit—ought be filled to overflowing.  The Holy Spirit always comes with power!  It is how he strengthens us and works in us and through us.  And that power ought produce passion!   ‘Satisfied spiritually?  Then I probably lack passion. 

Are you passionate about the things of God?  Or are you more passionate about your kid’s athletic accomplishments?  Are you passionate about wanting more of him, or are you more passionate about your car, decking out your house, working out, maybe caught up in someone else’s life, or other things of this world?  take some time and evaluate. 

If you want power and passion, and the love of god to be alive and real in your life in 2015, ask the Holy Spirit to come and do something new in you.  God doesn’t want us satisfied, he wants us passionate and wanting More.

 Christine