“PASSION: The Heartbeat of Spiritual Zeal”

The Bookseller magazine compiles a shortlist of titles nominated by readers and Twitter users with the oddest title of the year.

The rules stipulate that the book must be non-fiction, of serious intent, unintentionally odd, and not created to be deliberately humorous. One year. The winner was “Highlights in the History of Concrete.”

Runners up included “The Illustrated History of Metal Lunchboxes” and “The Development of Brain and Behavior in the Chicken.” Special mention was given to “Soviet Bus Stops” and “Butchering Livestock at Home.”

Who has the time, energy, and interest to write such weird books, let alone read them?

However, people are passionate about hobbies, sports, and carnal pursuits that, while more interesting, probably pay no more dividends in the end than reading or writing an odd book.

Our writing theme for the year emphasizes the focus on the two-word exhortation–” Be zealous.” It speaks to igniting your spiritual Passion, which will reward you not only in this life but in the one to come.

Today, consider some qualities, characteristics, and attributes of Passion as illustrated by an acrostic.

P — Pursue God with your whole heart.

Spiritual Passion that pleases God cannot, by its very nature, be half-hearted. Through the prophet Jeremiah, Jehovah implored His people, saying, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13).

The biblical concept of the heart involves much more than just a fuzzy feeling or a super-charged, exciting experience. It is the totality of our being: our intellect, our emotions, our will, and our conscience.

A — Act in love, serving one another.

Spiritual Passion issues itself in ministry. In embracing the “one another” commands in the New Testament. It’s the second half of the Two Great Commandments–” love your neighbor as yourself.”
“Through love serve one another,” (Gal. 5:13) admonished the apostle Paul. Our zeal for serving seeks opportunities to do good (Gal. 6:10). It not only seeks them, but sees them when they appear and seizes them before they disappear. Passionate ministry is Christ-like. It’s not about being served, but serving others.

S — Stand firm, unshaken in the faith.

For Passion to produce long-lasting results, it must be resolute. Unwavering. Undaunted. Unfaltering. Unshakable. This is the essence of the Biblical injunction “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” (1 Cor 15:58)

Persistence and perseverance keep the fire burning. Author Tony Robbins summed it up well when he wrote, “Passion is the genesis of genius. Perseverance is the fuel that keeps it alive.”

S — Spend and be spent for His glory.

A cursory study of the Apostle Paul’s life reveals a man passionate about serving God and preaching the gospel. He was zealous. Among the qualities that contributed to his passionate spirit is his selflessness, which is unconcerned with personal gain but more concerned with giving. To his Corinthian brethren, he wrote, “I will most gladly spend and be spent for your souls” (2 Cor. 12:15).

When the use of our resources is unselfish, when our motives are sincere, and when our focus is heavenly, then Passion will naturally come to the surface and impact not only what we give, but what we become in the process.

I — Illuminate the world with good works.

Light-shining involvement encourages others, promotes ministry, inspires the best, and gives God the glory. Jesus said, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt. 5:16).

O — Obey the Word with joy.

It’s next to impossible to be passionate about something that we fail to truly embrace, observe, and submit to. Thus, we are exhorted to “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). When we combine hearing with doing, we will experience “the joy of faith” (Phil. 1:25), which will further fuel our Passion.

N — Never tire of doing good.

We can be overwhelmed by the amount of work to do, or be discouraged by the coldness of others, or become disheartened by opposition and adversity. Thus, the inspired exhortation and reminder, “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Gal. 6:9).

Who will take this acrostic and personalize it? Make it your own. Apply this concept specifically to your life. Find your niche in the Kingdom and fill it.

What are you passionate about? And why? Then ask yourself the question raised by Leonard Ravenhill: “Are the things you are living for worth Christ dying for?”

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman