David was a passionate man. He did everything with great passion. As we examine his life, we see that when he focused and channeled is passions toward God's purpose, he was very successful. On the other hand, when his passions went uncontrolled, such as his encounter with Bathsheba, it brought tremendous devastation to his life. Uncontrolled passions can be detrimental. When a man undergoes transformation in his life, and he moves from darkness toward the light, he discovers a profound ability to focus his passion on God, resulting in fulfillment and success.
In Proverbs 25:28, Solomon, son of David, wrote that a man without self-control is like a city without walls. A man who does not know how to control or direct his passion will be overcome by all sorts of evil. In contrast, the man who has discovered how to control and focus his passion will be able to do anything.
Other words that describe passion include: vehemence, desire, enthusiasm, delight, rage, fire, fervor, zeal, and heat. Let's talk about setting your passion. You have the ability to set your passion. If you can't control your passion—your desire—it can kill you. Passion is contagious. John Wesley said that if a man sets himself on fire, people will come watch him burn. If I have five minutes with a person, they will feel the fire that is burning in my soul. They will see the vision that has driven my life. As you listen, some portion of that passionate vision will grab hold of you because passion is contagious.
Michael Jordan could be talking to you about his passion for basketball, and you may not get any kind of desire to play basketball, but you may get a desire to be productive or successful in whatever you're doing, by mere fact of his zeal. That's why athletes often make great motivational speakers, because they know about the power of passion.
There is a potion in passion that will affect the people around you. In Psalm 42:1, the psalmist says, As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. Now, that is very descriptive. Verse 2 says, My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. Does that sound like a man desperate and committed to experiencing God? And it continues, When can I go and meet with God? This is a man who is driven.
Have you ever seen a deer that is panting? For a deer to pant, he has to be running for his life. He's running for his life with his mind locked on one thing—water, cool refreshing water. Like the deer charging down through forest trails in search of the streams, making their way through the wooded terrain, so David searched with all of his heart for the living God.
It is sad when we lose our passion and fire, and it does happen. Why did we change, from the time we were filled with the Holy Ghost—a time when we were on our knees praying, seeking God, fasting, reading the Word, pushing the plate back, witnessing everywhere we went, telling people about Jesus? But now we're "mature." The writer says ...as the heart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Then he breaks it down and says, "When am I going to meet you?"
I just thought I'd gather all the nuggets of useful wisdom I gather as I walk through life. This wisdom may come from sermons, books, friends, etc. It helps me to read thru this again and again so I can grow spiritually and be victorious over the attacks of the Enemy. It's amazing how just one sentence or even one word can change your life forever.
