passion @ uwa

We all have a certain view of love: Love is a choice, love is time, love is an action. But love should be a journey that always discovers something new every day. The old was based on THEORY. The new is based on PRACTICAL. The old was based on fear of God’s judgment. The new is based on Jesus’ love and forgiveness. I remembered something that was said in Hillsongs conference. It goes something like this: “The problem with us is not in the giving, it’s in the receiving. Why are we still not changed? It is because we rely too much on our own strength instead of receiving the power of Jesus’ love for us. That we have not received the love of Jesus” We keep falling back on the old “set of rules” that “we have to do this; we have to do that” 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” The old play by RULES. The new lead by EXAMPLE.

No one knows us better than Jesus does. And Jesus never commands us to do something he is not willing and able to empower us to do. 1 John 4:4 “…He that is in me, is greater than he that is in the world”. The story of Jesus walking on water: How does it relate to us? Jesus is the perfect example, doing the impossible; that is walking on water. We go “Woah… I wanna do that too, I think I can… wait maybe I can’t.” Peter was empowered by Jesus: Then Peter called to him. “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you by walking on water” We are empowered by Jesus in our churches, our community, our family, to love our neighbours. So what’s new? It isn’t just looking at the awesome power of Jesus; it isn’t just marveling in the awesome presence of God during worship, it is imitating what Christ did. The first step? Get out of your boat! Face that rough tough sea and say “I’m just gonna do it anyway. I know I can’t, but I know God can.” Not with our reckless confidence in our own strength (die then die la), but with confidence in the one who empowered us. That means: Do first, think about it later; start talking with that friend who always sits alone in lecture; start leading prayer although you can’t speak very well; start doing SOMETHING. Like what Rachel said in day 9: Actions don’t necessarily follow feelings, but feelings tend to follow actions.

Then again there are some of us who started out strong, and we have lost that “first love, or passion”. The secret to renewing that strength, that passion, that love, is not finding some new feeling or discovering something more awesome then who God already is, but by doing the things we did at the beginning with a new attitude that results from changed hearts. Notice it says by DOING, and not by waiting for the feeling to come and inspire us. Having said that, because God has “created” us, we were made “creative” and we have the power of NEW! 2 Cor 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

The Power is yours! =D