From perfunctory to passionate!
By Jon Sampson
perfunctory: adjective – (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection: he gave a perfunctory nod.
passionate: adjective – showing or caused by strong feelings or a strong belief: passionate pleas for help; he’s passionate about football.
In today’s church, there are people who exist on a perfunctory level. They attend church more out of duty with no real interest or care about why they’re there. I believe this is because they’re taught as children that it’s good to go to church. In effect, they’re just “punching their ticket” each week. What they fail to realize, is that if they’re not willing to commit their life -- heart, mind and soul -- to Jesus, they’re just wasting their time. They might as well just be sleeping in each Sunday morning. (I’m not endorsing this course of action!)
On the other hand, there are those who are passionate about their involvement at church. They live for Sunday mornings and approach the rest of the week with a zeal for bringing more people into God’s kingdom. They are so grateful for what Christ did for them on the cross that they ooze enthusiasm. And the thing about passionate people is, they’re infectious. We want to have what they have and be like them. Right?
As a disclaimer, I know that I’m not as passionate as I should be. I sometimes lack the heartbrokenness for the lost I know I need. I need to work on being selfless vs. my true nature of selfish.
So, how can we improve our passion for Jesus and his will?
Make a commitment to Jesus. You can’t follow Jesus halfheartedly; we’re either for Him or against Him. Pray to begin an eternal relationship with Jesus by repenting of your sin and accepting His sacrifice for it on the cross. Make your relationship with Jesus your top priority in life. Devote more time and energy to growing closer to Jesus than you do to any other pursuit.
Decide to follow Jesus in every part of your life. Rather than limiting your faith only to the times you spend praying or worshiping in church, extend it to every aspect of your life – from your family life to your job. Seek Jesus’ guidance for everything that you say and do, and choose to follow His guidance.
Claim the joy that is yours as a Christian. Remind yourself often of the incredible truth that, as a Christian, you have eternal life in heaven awaiting you. Let the knowledge of that wonderful gift from Jesus give you joy every day.
Become a true disciple. If you’re really going to be a disciple of Jesus, you’ll love Him more than anyone or anything else. Be willing to make whatever sacrifices are necessary for you to follow where Jesus leads you. When what Jesus wants you to do conflicts with what other people want you to do, choose to follow Jesus. Keep in mind that investing time and energy into serving Jesus is the best investment you can ever make, since it has eternal value. Expect to see results of discipleship in your life if you’re truly following Jesus, such as a growing love for the Bible and for other people, a desire to share Jesus with others, a longing to spend time in prayer, and the courage to endure persecution or other hardships in order stand by your convictions.
Grow closer to Jesus through the Bible & prayer. Make a habit of reading, studying, memorizing, meditating on, and applying the Bible’s words to your life regularly. Pray that God will speak to you in fresh ways through the Bible whenever you read it. Ask yourself thoughtful questions about what you read in the Bible. We’ll get closer to Jesus through prayer. Rather than worrying about whether or not you’re using the right technique when praying or how eloquent your prayers sound to Jesus, simply be honest with Him in prayer.
In conclusion, these are just a few ways to draw closer to Christ and grow in our passion for him. Let’s choose to be passionate!
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