Passion

Feb 12, 2021

"And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us, as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as His adopted children, including the new bodies He has promised us."

- St. Paul, Romans 8:23

"Genius is 10% Inspiration and 90% Perspiration."

- Albert Einstein

The disciples were in the upper room for ten days… praying… waiting for the promise of the Holy Spirit… and nothing happened. Sometimes, you go through seasons when you're groaning in the land of nothing and the only thing that carries you is passion.

The actor, Mark Ruffalo, went to 600 auditions before he got his first break. Over 600 NOs before his first YES. Publisher after publisher rejected J.K. Rowling's first novel telling her, "No one makes money publishing or writing books for kids." Her book was about a boy named Harry Potter. Show me one person who’s doing something uniquely innovative in our world today, and I'll show you someone who has felt the hot sting of rejection a hundred times.

Passion is throwing yourself completely into something you believe God has called you to do without letting anything in the past decide your future.

Think about It...

Is there any way in which you are holding back because you were burned in the past?

Are you allowing a failure from yesterday to keep you from something new tomorrow?

What voices or old tapes in your head are keeping you from giving it everything you've got?

A smiling 88 year old man was skipping down the street with a gorgeous young lady on his arm when his doctor happened to see them. Surprised, the Doctor said,

"Ralph, are you O.K.?"

"Absolutely!" Ralph exclaimed, "I'm just taking the advice you gave me!"

"What advice was that?" the Doctor asked.

"Well," Ralph explained, "You told me to get a Hot Momma and be Cheerful!"

"NO! NO! NO!" the Doctor stressed, "I said… you have a Heart Murmur, Be Careful!"

Listen… an old Gospel Preacher said, "When you are down to Nothin’, God is up to Something!"

When Elijah was believing God for rain, 6 times he sent his servant to see what was coming on the horizon. Each time he would ask, “Are there any clouds?" And 6 times his servant answered, "Nothing." On the 7th trip to check for clouds, Elijah's servant saw a cloud on the horizon. Elijah's miracle was on its way!

"And it came to pass… that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain."

- 1 Kings 18:45

Spirit-infused Passion carried Elijah through the drought while he trusted God for an answer.

The disciples became men who turned the world upside down and made a way for you and I to hear and respond to Jesus' love for us. Don't be afraid of failure or delay. Don't let present circumstances water down the passion God gave you for His dream. Whether your dream is for your marriage or your children, or for a business or for a home or your health or for something not yet seen...