Revolution

The Problem With Passion

Yesterday I talked about the power of passion to bring people together for the sake of a cause. However, passion alone isn't enough. A passion that is disconnected from something bigger than the object of passion can be dangerous. Even if you have "noble" passions like wanting to grow your church or ministry, if it's divorced from the bigger picture of making the name of Jesus famous & of transforming lives, then it can be incredibly dangerous.

Passion has the power to connect people, but passion has to be connected to a higher principle as well. Otherwise, we become so narrowly focused on what we're passionate about that we begin to think everyone should be just as passionate as we are about our little thing. Example: the Pharisees were passionate about the Law right? Well, Jesus was every bit as passionate about the word of God, but His passion didn't look like their passion, so they condemned it.

Sadly, the same stuff happens still today in churches all over the place. We compete with one another rather than completing one another. We have the bad habit of equating our passion (usually our particular way of pursuing our passion) with a moral mandate. We think it has to be done our way or else it's wrong, even sinful, & that's just not the case.

Be passionate, take risks, but remember your passion can also be dangerous to you unless you're tempering it with grace & humility.