Daily Reading for Saturday, Jan. 26: Passion

“...continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12b-13 NIV

When we enter into the salvation covenant with God, we enter into a new life in Christ. The old things pass away and new things emerge in us. Such is the case with our passion. We may have had varied experiences with passion in our lives, but once we are Christ’s, our passions are renewed and our purposes reborn. As we “work out” our salvation, that is to say, as we live out the day-to-day expression of our faith with the full knowledge and comprehension of the God whom we serve, we press in to express and develop those things that he has formed in each of us. Those are our passions—those things that God works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose. He places such passions inside of us because he has prepared good works for us to do (Ephesians 4:12), and he wants us to complete our course in him. We have all been given various gifts, and we’ve each been chosen to fulfill a special place in the kingdom that no one else can fill. Our passions define that place and keep us striving to attain the high calling to which we’ve been summoned. Jesus has prepared a place of ministry for each us of to fulfill, and that place of ministry can only be discovered by discovering your passion. Seek the Lord today, if you are having trouble defining your passion. Ask him to guide you, to enlighten you, to open up to you those things that he has held in reserve only for you, so that you can unlock the treasure that is your passion.