The Biggest Issue in Society

Perhaps my biggest pet peeve is the lack of passion from Christians and non-Christians alike in today's society. I believe that many of our issues hinge on this lack of motivation, and inspiration. In fact, during my Ministry University course, when we were asked to sum up our purpose in ministry, I stated that I intended to re-kindle an undying passion for Christ within people's heart that left them inspired and motivated just as the early church had been, and resulted in great victories for Christ's kingdom.

I'm going to tackle what I label as the biggest issue in society from two perspectives. First, from the non-Christian aspect, and then the Christian aspect. I believe each are equally important!

Starting with the non-Christian aspect, I feel that many of our problems in society are due to lack of passion. Obviously the issue is different with non-Christians in the fact that they can't fuel their passion from the same thing. Each person has to search for a different motivator, or source. This in itself is a huge issue, but right now, I believe the biggest issue is that no one is even bothering to find a source for themselves! No one cares anymore about anything! It is extremely rare to find a person who feels so strongly about something that it consumes every part of their soul.

I recently did a youth devotion on the topic of passion, and while researching for the talk, I discovered this definition of passion from the Merriam-Webster dictionary, passion is "a strong feeling that causes you to act in a dangerous way." I love this! You see, the issue isn't that we don't care for certain things, the issue is that we don't care enough. We are not willing to put our necks on the line for something we supposedly "care" about. The issue is that society is filled of people with dead dreams, goals, and loves. We claim to be passionate about our lives, but do our actions truly reveal that passion?

Using an example of someone I know, this person really wants to make it in the sports world. They feel so passionately about the sport, that they practice everyday for hours and hours. They're willing to sacrifice what normal people their age get to experience, just to pursue this passion. They are acting dangerously.

What the world has to offer is endless! Find something you feel you could care for passionately, and do it! Don't be afraid, don't be lazy, but do something with your life!

This is just the start. As Christians, we know that what the world has to offer is great, but at the same time is not entirely self-satisfying. The only passion that is actually meaningful at the end of the day is passion for God.

Again, that same definition of acting dangerously applies to our relationship with Christ. We should care so strongly for Him that it consumes every aspect of our lives. This doesn't mean that we pull Him out of the closet on Sunday mornings, and then put Him away for the rest of the week. Instead, He is involved in every minute of our live, every action that we commit, every thought that passes through our mind. When we talk to our friends, our passion is shown through the fact that we can't wait to share Christ with them. When we have free time, instead of letting our lives be sucked away by technology, we put forth the effort to become more Christ-like and to draw deeper in our relationship with God.

We have a common source: God. He sent His Son to die for us on the cross, because He loved us so much. He could not bear to watch us suffer, so He committed a dangerous act, an act that hurt Him deeply. But Jesus also loved us, and stepped up to the plate, willing again to act dangerously in order to show His passion for us. The only response to this would be to accept that love, and to offer it back. Perhaps not in the same way, but by offering our complete lives back to Him to use for His will.

That's what passion is. That's what our changed lives should look like. Just imagine a world of people so committed to what they love that they lay everything down just to see it through. The potential for great things to happen is astounding.