As If My Life Depended On It

When does unproductive quiet lethargy morph into potentially constructive passion? How do you keep potentially constructive passion from morphing into consistently destructive rage?

I’m watching the political fever of the nation rise, remembering that an infection causes a fever to rise. Right now we have multiple “political doctors” pointing the finger of blame to identify what (or who) the infection is. As of yet the result is not healing or restorative. In many cases lethargy has morphed into passion and in many cases passion is now morphing into rage.

I wonder, what is the role of the Christ-follower right now? Many in the church are filled with passion (if not rage) over their views politically. Yet we are too often stuck in lethargy when it comes to worship and serving God. I will argue health care while I ignore my soul or the souls of those around me.

Lethargy in my God relationship and rage in my political views is the breeding ground for sinful attitudes and actions.

Please don’t misunderstand – I have views about the role and size of Government, taxes, abortion, health care, marriage, war, czars, and terrorists. I will engage as a citizen of this Nation to participate in the discussion… but my passion for politics needs to be fed through my passion for God. That protects it from growing into dangerous rage.

Too often we don’t allow ourselves to go though the hard work of making my world view submit to my God view. We treat them as if they can be detached from one another. As if I can be lethargic with my walk with God and passionate with my political views and somehow avoid disobedient rage -I cannot. One of them must trump the other. God is bigger than politics.

This is time for the church to be passionate about the right things. I need to be passionate enough about my life with Christ that I am willing to lay that life down or even face mockery as I live it. My passion isn’t to be what I want as a “Christian” for the Nation, it’s what Christ wants for the Church and people within the Nations.

So, to answer the beginning questions: When does unproductive quiet lethargy morph into potentially constructive passion? How do you keep potentially constructive passion from morphing into consistently destructive rage?

First question: when I engage my soul as if my life depended on it.

Second question: Be passionate about your God relationship first! Let that passion feed the other passions and we will live Christ to the rage filled world around us.

Listening to the Alarm Go Off to Wake the Church Up,

Pastor Dave