PASSION
I’m not a big fan of defining a key word at the start of anything unless it’s really worth it.
But there’s something about passion that we don’t fully understand sometimes. Passion in Greek is pathema, which means suffering. Suffering means suffering. Hurt, pain, and struggle.
Biblehub.com explains that this word is not inherently negative. It is only negative and too much to handle outside of faith.
What’s interesting is that we often use passion to describe something we like doing. I’m passionate about this because I enjoy it. But that isn’t what passion is about. Don’t get me wrong. That’s a great and important thing. But it’s not passion.
Passion has little to do with what you like. It’s more about deciding on who is worth suffering for. This means that when we are truly passionate about something or someone, there will be times when it won’t feel as rewarding or as enjoyable as it once was. You like basketball when you play with your friends. You are passionate about basketball when you are willing to wake up at 4am to practice shooting. (Just ask Kobe Bryant.) it’s going above and beyond completely understanding that the reward or acknowledgement may not even be there in the end.
Christ’s passion for the Lost is amazing because I can only imagine how horrible it was for Jesus to be human and die for fellow humans. That was highly inconvenient, indescribably difficult and it wasn’t as rewarding while he was sacrificing. But it was worth it because we are valuable to Him. Value directly affects passion. Because what’s truly valuable to you will be worth all the pain and torture.
Remember that outside getting to know God more, passion becomes overbearing.
Best example, Christ. Best way to express it? Loving the people close to us. It could be mean uber/grab drivers, or relatives we don’t really get along with, or even people who accidentally step on our new shoes.
Insert Romans 8:18
