We want to grow in love and passion for God as we pursue a relationship with Him, yet so often we make things far too complicated. Read about and put to action these three simple ways to help grow your passion for Jesus Christ. We want to know how God truly feels about us and what Jesus has done for us, and then take time to be with this One who so loves us.
1. Knowing the truth about who God is.
When we think of God as a distant dictator waiting to strike us down or believe the lie that He is always angry, we will not even want to spend time with Him. Our feelings of guilt and condemnation will cause us to avoid spending time with Him, or we will always find ourselves trying to “perform” well enough to earn His love. I once fit this description; I knew God loved me, but it wasn’t getting from my head to my heart.
What’s the remedy? We must spend time in the Bible, reading the truth about God. By studying and reflecting on His truth, our minds will be transformed.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
– Romans 12:1-2 (NKJV)
Father God loves to set us free from lies we believe and wrong mindsets we struggle with. He wants us to know the truth about who He is and how He sees us. This happens through studying His Word which is about Him.
Our obedience is not sustainable because we fear the consequences of disobedience, but because we desire to love God with the very love with which He first showed us.
2. Knowing what Jesus has done for us.
As we come to believe the truth that Father God loves us and sees us as His adopted children, we will truly see the intensity of His love as it was displayed for us through the death of His Son Jesus on the Cross.
Jesus’ sacrifice was not made to guilt us into obedience, but to draw us into an intimate journey of partnership.
God is love (1 John 4:8). This very love led the Father to give His Son in our place as the payment for our sins (John 3:16). This same love led Jesus to willingly go through such agony for us.
We were the very joy set before Jesus when He gave His life to restore us to an unhindered relationship with God (Hebrews 12:2). When we experience a heightened revelation of His love for us–the very depth, height, width, and length He went for love–we, too, will grow in passionate love for Him.
Knowing the love Jesus had for us when He paid the ultimate cost to save us, set us free, and bring us into relationship with His Father solidifies our passion for Him.
Knowing the truth of His love ends every lie that says He does not love us, for He truly paid it all out of His immeasurable love for us.
3. Spending time with God in the Word and in worship.
An important aspect of growing in passion for Jesus is by spending time with Him–worshiping and giving thanks to Him as well as studying His Word.
Whatever we think about the most, we begin to reflect outwardly. When we focus on the world around us, those things will become prominent in our minds. If it is our own trials, we may feel hopeless. If it is our sin, we may feel condemned.
However, when we take time to focus on praising God for what He has done, we will grow in gratitude and hope. Likewise, as we study His Word, we will get to know God as He truly is and read of His plans and purposes. Then, despite what is happening in the world around us, we will remain hopeful and at peace. In trials, we will come to know His faithfulness. As we praise Him and read His Word, our passion for Him will grow.
In such an environment, our wrestle with sin will become less prominent as we seek Him day after day. We will desire to honor Him and say no to anything that does not glorify Him. His Word will be hidden in our hearts so that we might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).
No one else loves us like God does. May we grow in knowing the truth about who Jesus is and what He has done for us, so that we will grow in passion for Him.
“Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God…” 1 John 3:1 (NKJV)
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Inspiring Passion for Jesus Christ 