Fuel Your Spiritual Passion

By Greg Sanders

If you want to fuel your passion about a sport, you watch that sport on television or you listen to sports radio on your drive home. Sometimes your passion for that sport may be diminished. However, when you see it on television or hear conversations about it, your interest is peaked. Why? Because our passion peaks when it is in an atmosphere where discussion and others of like passion are fueling it. I wonder if the reason Jesus stayed at the temple longer than He was supposed to stay we because His passion was being fueled. We know that not everyone in the temple was truly passionate about God. Some people were passionate about their own agenda. But if you wanted to find people who were truly passionate about the things of God the temple would be the place to look.

Luke 2:46 says,  ^“After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. ⁴⁷ Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.”

Despite its imperfections, Jesus loved to be in the temple. He referred to it as His Father’s house. It was not only a place where His passion was fueled; it was also a place where He desired others to be fueled as well. As we begin the New Year in a few days, I want to challenge you to make sure you have a plan to fuel your own spiritual passion. In this scripture Jesus demonstrates three ways you can keep your Spiritual tank full.

1. Spend time in His house. Commit yourself to attending a local church where the gospel of Jesus is being preached. If Jesus made frequent trips to the temple how much more do you and I need to spend time in the corporate assembly of His people? Hebrews 10:25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.

2. Spend time investing in His word. The Bible lets us know that God inspired the scriptures. We know that Jesus was very familiar with the scriptures as He often quoted them when speaking or being tested. Yet, with His vast knowledge, He fueled His passion by going to a place where scripture was being discussed. Spend time daily investing in the word of God by reading and listening.

3. Spend time interacting with those who are passionate about Jesus. The Christian life was never intended to be lived in isolation. There is a supernatural strength that comes from being in relationship and in conversation with those who are also followers of Jesus. Spend time developing strategic relationships with people who are passionate about Jesus. They will challenge you, encourage you, and perhaps even correct you. We need people to help us continue down the road of following Jesus.

Today’s Challenge: This holiday season offers a little down time for most people. I am sure it’s not as much as you desire. Take some of your extra down time and plan a strategy to keep your tank fueled. A few ingredients should be to spend time in His house. Spend time listening to the word. Spend time interacting with those who are truly passionate about the things of God.

Blessings,

Greg