3… 2… 1… You take a deep breath and walk toward the girl standing alone in the corner of the room. Frantically, you go over what you rehearsed in your head and fake confidence as you walk to her. Help me, Lord, you pray as you take small but steady steps. You told me to do this.
The girl, who had been watching a video on her phone, looks up. Confusion and surprise are written on her face. “Hello?” she asks, a bit nervous that you approached her.
“Hi,” you squeak, then clear your throat. “What’s your name?” She tells you and stands there awkwardly, wondering what you want from her. Do I know you? she wonders. She certainly doesn’t remember you if she’s met you before.
You tell her your name in return, and after a bit of small talk, you get to the point. “I wanted to share something with you,” you say, trying not to fiddle with your fingers too much. The girl registers the change in your voice's tone and her expression becomes more nervous as she realizes you want to discuss a serious topic. “Have you ever heard the Gospel?” you ask.
The girl shakes her head, and you share Jesus with her. By the end of the conversation, mixed tears of joy and repentance are dripping down her cheeks. “What happens now?” she asks. God has worked through you to spark a passion in her.
Of course, this isn’t always a reality. Sometimes people aren't receptive to the gospel, or sometimes Gospel conversations don’t last as long as you thought they would. However, the part of this story that can consistently be a reality is your part. You taking the initiative to share the best news ever with anyone and everyone God puts in your path. And what fuels you to share the Gospel? Your faith and a passion for God.
Inhuman Passion
You may have noticed the name of this blog: Inhuman Passion. If it weren't for Godly passion, I never would have started a Christian blog. I would be scrolling through social media or losing myself in a good book right now. There isn't anything fundamentally wrong with either of those things, but when they aren't used for and because of God, they don't glorify God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." When a person's life is filled with an inhuman, Spirit-given passion, they desire to do everything to God's glory. They speak, eat, drink, interact, work, exercise, read, write, and hang out with friends (the list could go on) all for God's glory! If you weren't passionate about being a Christian, would you desire to live to the glory of God? Or would you be complacent and content knowing you are going to Heaven?
There are different kinds of passion. When passion is driven by something short-lived, such as fame, money or even love for the wrong things, passion will be short-lived. You've probably seen short-lived passion before. Think of that one couple who were deeply in love while they were dating, but once marriage and children came, they grew tired of each other and started to get in fights. Their passion for each other and their relationship was short-lived.
The Bible also speaks of, and frowns upon, passions of the flesh. "And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24). We have crucified old passions, but the Holy Spirit can fill us with new passion for Christ.
A true passion for God can never dissipate because it is fueled by something eternal: God himself. If you love Jesus with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, as he commands, this will naturally flow into a passion for doing things to glorify Him.
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.” (James 1:17). If you have a godly passion, it is a gift from God! Ask God to fill you with the Holy Spirit and light your heart on fire with passion for Him.
A lack of passion
According to the results of a survey reported on Barna.com, there are more Christians than ever today who believe that sharing their faith is not their responsibility. I believe this comes from a lack of passion for Christ; if someone doesn't feel a pull to serve Jesus, they are naturally going to be less willing to share the Gospel.
There aren't many Christians out there who love God with everything and have a passion for doing all to His glory. This makes it even more important that we step up to the plate and do hard things for Christ (see Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris for more on this). A Christian who loves God more than anything else and is passionate about His kingdom is going to take responsibility for sharing the Gospel with others. This kind of Christian shares the gospel out of love for God!
Imagine if all the casual Christians in this world realized the gravity of their faith and started living for Jesus. Your day-to-day life would look extremely different, even if you already follow Jesus with everything. You would have more fellowship, better discussions in church, and more support when sharing the Gospel with others. If you’re a casual Christian right now, giving up everything would cause you to gain everything! Heavenly rewards are more valuable than Earthly rewards.
The survey on Barna.com also found that Christians who are passionate about Jesus are very passionate. They likely realize they are in a culture that is spiritually starving and strive to intentionally have conversations about Christ often.
Think about how much better Jesus has made your life. Your lost peers have never experienced His love! They've never known His great mercy! How could they, unless someone were to share Christ with them?
Call to action
Which category do you fall into? The very passionate or the complacent? Do you love Jesus with all your heart or do you love Him like you love football and coffee? Is a change of heart needed?
I feel great sadness when I look around me. I’m surrounded by people who take religion lightly; who either have never been introduced to Jesus or never took the time to feed their faith. I fall into that trap sometimes; I forget that every second matters. People are either going to spend eternity with Jesus or spend eternity without Him. I want everyone to know the Living Water, the Bread of Life, the Great I AM!
But for many years, I lacked a passion for Jesus. I doubted my salvation. How could I share the Gospel with people if I wasn't sure I believed it myself? I've been a 'Christian' for a long time, but I didn't love Christ until about a year ago. When I got to know Him, everything changed. Jesus got me out of so many horrible things.
When I was a new Christian, I was active and made changes to my life. I was bold. And now, I feel myself slipping out of that boldness. Jesus, reignite my passion for You!
I dare you to rekindle your passion for Jesus. A passion for Jesus comes from a love for Him, and a love for Him comes from knowing Him and His character. I can't help but love Jesus now that I know His love. And now that I've realized He is by my side in everything, I can bravely ask Him for the courage to share His story. To live for Him with everything.
Spiritual matters are more important than everything else: school, family, friends, hobbies. Get to know Jesus now if you haven't. If you know Jesus, intentionally seek out opportunities to serve Him. He doesn't need you, but He wants you. He has chosen you. How awesome is that?