A Passion for Faithfulness

“What! Do you not have houses in which to eat and drink? Or do you despise the church of God, and shame those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you? In this I will not praise you. For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, ‘This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’

In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” 1 Cor. 11:22-28

The young convert shook his head in disbelief. He thought becoming a Christian would somehow inoculate him from future trouble. Christianity does not provide immunity from heartache and trouble. However, in the heartache, God promises never to leave us. His protection and wisdom are available to all who are His.

Jesus said: “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28

In 2 Corinthians 11, Paul provides an extensive list of the personal trials he faced as a result of his love for Christ. Several times he was beaten to the point of death. Many times he was rejected and ridiculed for his desire to further the Kingdom of God.

What was the driving force behind his life? What kept Paul from giving up? A passion for God - the very thing that sustains us when fear and adversity threaten our existence.

A passion for God goes beyond simple fondness. It is a love for God that is constant, regardless of circumstances. A person with a passion for God never walks away from what God has given him to do. But if he should, he knows he can come home, because God has a passion for him, and God’s love never grows cold.