Passion?

Well I have started to write about 7 blogs before I started writing this one. I have so much junk I feel like I want to talk about but for some reason when I start to write the words do not come out on the paper. Maybe I should try to work on that, but who knows. I was just sitting here looking at my last blog and it made me start to think about passion. I am not talking about the Passion that 20 thousand college kids go to every year to hope to get re-energized for Christ. I am talking about my own personal passions in life. Every one of us has passions that we have never told anyone, because for some reason some of the things that drive us in life may not be what people expect. For example it has taking me awhile since being in college to convince people that I have a passion for music and worship. It has taken God using me to actually lead worship at churches or campus ministries to get people to see that. But we also have passions in life that are very wrong and sinful in many ways. This is what I would like to write about for a little bit, the passions that pull us from who our primary passion should be and that is Christ.

Since I am about to graduate from WKU I have begun to look at my life in a different way and to look at what some of my passions are. I begun to notice that most of the things that I think would be hard to live without are actually pulling me away from God. It does not matter what it is, it could range from girls to movies, to studying, anything. I have begun to realize that many things are pulling me from the one who came down and rescued me. I think if you looked deep into your heart you would see the same thing I am writing about. If you want to test if your passions are right or wrong ask this simple question and answer it honestly: If God asked you to give up whatever that thing is would you be able to do it? Just look at what we as followers of God have become. We say we could sacrifice everything to God but yet we never actually do it and when God says surrender it because his will is greater we still hold on to what we should let go.

I know this is hard thing to think about, if it was not hard I would not be writing about it. Just imagine what it would be like to have our only passion be Jesus Christ. The sad thing is that I can imagine that some people reading this would say that that actually sounds a little boring and not interesting. I know people believe that because I also believe that sometimes. But God has a great purpose for us, but we have to be willing to surrender ourselves, our desires, everything to Him. Will it be easy? Of course not. Will it get easier with time? Cannot answer that question because I believe Satan will just try harder to get you to slip up, but I do know that Christ never leaves or forsakes us and that he will help us in those times.

So I as I close this tonight I pray you will take sometime to look deep into who you are and ask Christ to examine that also. All the deep parts of your heart that you have never let anyone see. Examine who you are and see if there is anything else you need to surrender. And I promise there is something, if there was not anything than you would be perfect and that is something none of us will ever be till we sit before the throne of God.

I love you all, let me know if there is anyway I could pray for you all.
Brent Phillips