Being passionate about what we love

I have watched Kentucky basketball since I was a young man and admit that sometimes I do get a little carried away. As I was reading an article the other day about this past season, I was intrigued by a comment from the father of one of the players, who by the way was a top 10 NBA draft pick last season. He was asked about the first time he recognized that his son was going to be a special player, and he explained that it had a lot to do with the way he held the ball even at an early age. He went on to say his sons body language revealed a deep bonding connection, like a reverential respect and level of love and commitment that was more than a whim or impulsive fad. This vision became the heart and core of his imagination and his determination could not be stopped. You may have already figured out where I am going with this.

Sometimes a story or a phrase captures our attention and when I thought about these comments, I went to my office and began writing. I am not being negative for being passionate about our gifts and talents, but when it comes to priorities, there is nothing wrong with checking the inventory of our adoration. Most everyone has interest and hobbies but if our ultimate love is not for God then we could be actually dedicating our worship to something else. I was thinking, do I read my Bible like that young man holds a basketball with such an excitement, desire and zeal to accomplish God’s will? Do I spend as much time in prayer and study as he does in the gym practicing in order to become all that God has called me to be? Laziness and apathy are a formula for failure, especially in God’s kingdom and no doubt explains how my sluggish attitude is the reason I have spent most of my life on the bench instead of being a starter on the front-line for His service. It has been said, that nothing significant has ever been accomplished without passion and this definitely applies when pertaining to our relationship with God.

The Bible is a direct connection to who God is, so when we ignore His instructions we are actually ignoring Him. His Word is living truth and the most incredible navigation device because it can literally speak divine wisdom and direction into our mind and spirit. So, if we believe His promises are perfect for our lives and they never fail, the problem seems to be more of a lack of interest on our part than God being difficult to understand or trust. You would think the Bible would be the most highly sought after and trusted resource in the world but it is usually the last resort. Why? Well, we could make a list of reasons and excuses but to save space and time, we should go ahead and acknowledge the number one answer is “love” or maybe I should say the lack thereof. What do you mean? Too often, we only think about God when we need Him instead of because He is the center of our life. For example, the reason why you and I do not spend 5 hours a day practicing basketball is because we do not love it that much and the same is true with all the other topics and subjects in life. We invest our time, energy and enthusiasm into what has captured our heart and we will always give more attention to what we love. This sounds so elementary but actually it’s so profound it goes right over our head. We can attempt to justify but in the end; we choose the way we live. Most of us know in our conscience what we should do, but sadly our rebellion against God is usually more persuasive than our obedience to Him. If we only had a stronger passion for developing an awareness of His presence and becoming more like Christ, we could become a champion for His glory.

Dr. Holland lives in Central Kentucky with his wife Cheryl, where he is a Christian author, outreach minister and community chaplain. To learn more visit: billyhollandministries.com