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 It's my first time here in Bacolod and my visit here reminded me of my first cousin who was assassinated for what he believed in years ago. He was once a top ranking communist.
Many decades ago, when the communist movement was very much alive in many parts of the world, I have always been fascinated by their passion for communism. And I saw that firsthand in my first cousin. During those years, I was amazed at how they can sacrifice so much of their time, their money and all their efforts to even willingly die for their cause.
Communism was in their blood. They talked about it. They sang about it. They recruited others to join their cause. They hang on to it with so much passion and dedication. They hung on to a hope of a better tomorrow, a better world, a Utopian society. Although I may not agree with their cause, but I really appreciated their fiery passion to it. It consumed them. It was their whole being.
And the reason why it intrigues me is because when I see some Christians (and some local congregations), this passion I found in communists seem to be lacking or non-existent. Why are some Christians lacking or even devoid of a burning passion for Christ? Why is it so?
Here's my own observation of what seems to be different:
One reason I see is because some of these Christians may have been burned out -- they lost steam. They started with so much passion but the mission and vision became blurred along the way. The "cares of this world" may have overwhelmed them. Or, the enemy has succeeded in blurring the vision so that these Christians found no reason to carry on and continue at all.
Another reason I see -- and for me this is the main reason -- is that most Christians who lack the passion haven't really fully known, haven't really fully grasped, haven't really fully understood, haven't really been so fired up with so much passion so as to be willing to die for a cause. They haven't really found out the cause worth dying for... as yet. They haven't really found the reason for their being. They haven't really found yet a passion for Christ. It hasn't consumed them yet with so much intensity.
They don't know who Christ is. And they don't know who they really are in Jesus Christ. This I believe are the two main points which Christians ought be able to answer -- and answer correctly -- in order to have an ever burning, real passion for Christ:
- Who is God as revealed in the person of Jesus Christ? A Christian should find out and ask, "Who are you Lord?" just like Paul experienced on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:5).
- The second question is: "Who am I Lord in relation to you?" "Why did you create me anyway?" "What's the reason for my existence?" Just like King David he should ask, "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" (Psalm 8:3-4)
When answered correctly -- when the Lord opens one's mind to experience it -- this I believe will fire up any Christian (and/or any local congregation) to be so consumed with a passion for Christ. The answer to these two questions, under the leading and guidance of God's Spirit, will keep a Christian ever passionate to do the Lord's will and share the gospel to everyone.
By God's grace, in his own good time, he will guide us into all truth (John 16:13).
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