“Jesus answered him, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’”
Matthew 22:37-39 TPT
We associate passion with lust, but it does not mean that, even though the Oxford dictionary describes it as ‘strong and barely controllable emotion’. Yet the Latin definition of passion relates to suffering. Thus Jesus was called the man of passion.
This past day was a day of Thanksgiving in America, and for it to be successful the Christ-type of passion would be required where laying down of selfishness for the good of others existed. Unfortunately, we have many selfish ideals around celebration times such as Thanksgiving amd Christmas. We want what we want and are upset when we don’t receive. This is a childish attitude that exists in children and should be done away with in adulthood.
It is only as we allow Jesus to be Lord in our lives that we find the power to be selfless and consider others before ourselves. It is natural to be selfish, but godly to be selfless. We are exhorted to take up this attitude by Paul: “Abandon every display of selfishness. Possess a greater concern for what matters to others instead of your own interests. And consider the example that Jesus, the Anointed One, has set before us. Let his mindset become your motivation.”Philippians 2:4-5 TPT
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