During school term breaks, we dedicate some time to do some family activity. Last break, we watched a mountain biking series on Netflix; we always prefer something motivating or educating.
The series was about a bunch of kids who grew up together and became professional bikers. They were able to execute a number of mind-blowing and deadly stunts that were done with such precision that a small margin for error could cost serious injuries.
What stood out was the passion they had. This passion bore discipline and perseverance—its fruit. They spent hours and hours every day in their backyard to master their skills on the trampoline using bicycle frames. Injuries nor broken bones stopped them from doing what they loved. They had such deep passion that they cared less about the risk attached. The adrenaline rush they got from racing down the mountains was worth every struggle and ounce of energy they spent on carrying the bikes on their shoulders up the mountain.
This reminded me of a verse from Mathew 16:25: where Jesus mentions “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
In our spiritual walk, we sometimes try to play safe and be in our comfort zones. The fear of brokenness and rejection gets the best of us and we end up being unable to give ourselves completely to Jesus so that Christ could live through us.
Apostle Paul reminds us that “To live is Christ and die is gain.” He was willing to take the risk. Fame, name, money and education meant nothing to Paul, compared to the surpassing greatness of Christ. He had a deep passion for Christ.
Philippians 3:8—Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake, I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ.
When we follow Jesus, we need to deny ourselves and take up the cross for his namesake. When we walk through storms and trials, we get exhausted—a point where quitting seems like an easier option. We wonder if we are ever going to make it through the hurt. If we are passionate about Jesus, these hurts, pain, or that difficulty will start looking as an opportunity to grow in Him and bring glory to Him.
Remember: It is not easy but it is not impossible. There is a struggle involved in pursuing every passion. But the good news is that, it is worth every bit of what God has in store for you—ENDURE!
I love this old hymn that reminds us to press on, overcome every hurdle and stay faithful till the end of our journey on earth.
Faithful to the end
by Misty Edwards
Oh, He loved me to the end
Jesus, the faithful voice
Oh, He loved me to the end
You were faithful to the end
You will love even to the end
O God, make us faithful
Oh, He loved me to the end
Make us overcomers as You have overcome to the end
We wanna be faithful, we wanna love You to the end
Loving not our lives, even unto death, God
Even unto death
We wanna be equally yoked to You, Jesus
Equally yoked in love
Loving You unto the end
Just as You loved us unto the end
You are the faithful witness
You are the faithful witness
The first-born from the dead
Let us love You this way, O God
Let us love You more than we love this life
Let us love You to the end
Even to the end
Even to the end
We pledge our allegiance to Jesus
The faithful witness
You have been faithful
You were faithful
Even to death
Let us love You this way
Let us love You to the end
To the death
Faithful as You are faithful
We wanna be faithful.
Is Jesus your passion?
It goes without saying that we cannot love someone we do not know. Get to know God and what He has done for us. Once we start loving God, we will start becoming passionate about him and will be ready to give up things that keep us away from Him. When we have what is great, it becomes easy for us to let go of the less.
Are we ready to give up addictions, unforgiveness or worries that are keeping us away?
Are we ready to die to our flesh and live life passionately for Christ?
Consider this:
The climb up the mountain (pain, shame, sickness, struggles of life) may be hard, but there is so much in store at the TOP:
T- Transformation. The journey up the mountain changes and keeps one grounded. It teaches people the importance of enduring and overcoming hurdles. People become empathetic when it comes to helping others with their journey. God often takes us through tough roads to make us stronger and change us, inside out. Through it all, we need to remember just one thing—“He that is in us is greater that he that is in the world.”
O- Opportunity. Every struggle is an opportunity for us to learn something new. Sometimes, God opens unfamiliar doors that we have never even imagined just to make us depend on His strength rather than our own. Every door, every speed breaker and every crooked road, an opportunity for us to know God more.
P- Purpose. A verse that is often quoted in this context is Jeremiah 29:11— For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God definitely has a purpose for every big and small thing that happens in our lives. Sometimes, it is to teach us discernment and the importance of consulting God with even the tiniest details; and sometimes, it is just a way of Him telling us of His abundant and unconditional love for us—that He is cheering us on no matter what. Everything is a part of His big plan. Never doubt that bit.