When our greatest passion is for Jesus Christ and His glory, our personal issues, problems, circumstances take on a different perspective. When our greatest passion is not for God and His glory, then by default our greatest passion is for something or someone else - the Bible calls this idolatry.
Colossians 3:4-6 When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
What do we do when our greatest passion is not for God?
John Piper's 2004 book, "When I don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy" offers some thought in the first few chapters that I have read.
"The aim of this book is not to salve the conscience of well-to-do Western acquisition. The aim is to sustain love's ability to endure sacrificial losses of property and security and life, by the power of joy in the path of love. The aim is that Jesus Christ be made known in all the world as the all-powerful, all-wise, all-righteous, all-merciful, all-satisfying Treasure of the universe. This will happen when Christians don't just say that Christ is valuable, or sing that Christ is valuable, but truly experience in their hearts the unsurpassed worth of Jesus with so much joy that they can say, "I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. (Phil 3:8)" pg. 21.
Our goal in nurturing a heart for God is that our desire and delight in God run deep within our heart and soul, overflowing to those around us, saved and unsaved alike.
Psalm 73: 25-26 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 42:1 As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God.
Psalm 63:1,3 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water....Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.
Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Tomorrow, we will consider how to nurture a heart for God.
Diane
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