What are you passionate about? Is it something that makes you absolutely bounce out of bed in the morning? It could be that you have a job that you love --or the anticipation of the completion of a project you have been working on, and now you get to see it come together --or you could be passionate about serving your family, and cannot wait to tackle meal planning and the laundry! We all have different things that motivate us, don't we?
I listened this week to a man, in his sixties, discuss little children that have to do without because of the life choices that their parents make. It is one thing to discuss it and end with, "Well, that's too bad!." My friend has a vision for transforming our community, helping it to become a safer place for little children to live, grow and learn...within our schools, churches and especially within their homes. He and his friends are actually doing something...and their passion will be the vehicle that helps them to realize their goals.
Our passions drive our goals, don't they? So, again I ask you, what are you passionate about? I love to hear about transformed lives. How appropriate it is then, that this semester I get to study the Book of Acts and the life of Paul the Apostle. In only three weeks, I have been challenged in so many ways. Paul is certainly one of our best examples of a transformed life. I mean really, he is first mentioned in Acts because he held the tunics of the men that stoned Stephen. He was called Saul then, and after Stephen's death, Saul goes from house to house to persecute Christian people. Phrases like "breathing out murderous threats" were used to describe him. Saul is met on the road to a place called Damascus one day...by the risen Jesus Christ...and was struck blind. After that, he was never the same again. Saul was a Pharisee. He was a Hebrew of Hebrews...Saul learned Torah (the Law) from the best teacher(s) of his time. Saul knew Greek, and was also well-trained in rhetoric, or the art of persuasion.
Because of his background, he 'had' to reject Jesus as Messiah, because he had died on a cross--a sign to Jews that he was cursed...the Messiah could not be "cursed" of God...and yet, after Saul's personal encounter with the Living, (and Resurrected-from-the-dead) Jesus Christ...he believed, and his life was transformed. Saul went from persecuting Christians to being one. Saul's name was changed to Paul. Paul traveled all over the known world, preaching first in Jewish Synagogues, and then to the Gentiles. He was methodical in his travels and in his approach to the new places he visited. His ministry lasted between 30-35 years, depending on the scholar you read. None of this is news to you, most likely...but sometimes, just for fun, or encouragement, or as a vehicle to re-kindle our passion...we just need to be reminded of the power that is ours, when we believe on the Lord, Jesus Christ.
Paul went on to die a martyr's death...sobering to think about, isn't it? And, like Paul, we have nothing to fear. We can be more than conquerors--just as Paul encouraged the first century church--2,000 years ago. Timeless message--for then and now--to transform lives. The lives of those around you, or your very own life--but transformation is available! That IS good news! And, isn't it something to be passionate about??!
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