Topic: To Get More Passionate, Get Closer to God[RICK WARREN Devotional 12 MARCH  2024]

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To Get More Passionate, Get Closer to God

BY RICK WARREN — MARCH 12, 2024
FROM DOING BUSINESS WITH GOD

“Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together.”

Revelation 3:20 (GW)

God gave you a heart, and in your heart he placed passions, desires, and dreams. But unless they are under his control, they will be misused, they will be abused, they will be misapplied, they will be misdirected, and they will be wasted in your life.

All around the world, millions of passionate people have interests, dreams, and ambitions that are being misused and abused. And it breaks God’s heart. In spite of their talent and their passion, these people are unhappy—because when your passions are misused, it makes you miserable.

Some of you might be thinking, “I’m not really passionate about anything right now.” You know what that means, right? It means you are disconnected from God. You cannot be connected to God and dispassionate. When you are plugged into God, it’s like plugging into 220 volts. You get passionate!

God is a passionate God. The only reason you have emotions is because you’re made in his image. God is emotional. God gets jealous when he sees you ignoring him for something else. God has loved you with an everlasting love; no matter what you’ve done, he will always love you. That’s passion!

When you spend time with God daily and you get plugged into him, you can’t help but be passionate. You start to develop God’s heart for the world. You start to feel the way he does. Who you hang out with really does make a difference.

I can prove it with any teenager. Put a teenage kid with a group of dispassionate kids who are apathetic about everything, and that kid will become apathetic within a matter of weeks. Why? It matters who you spend your time with.

Would you like to have more energy in life? More enthusiasm? More get-up-and-go? Let me tell you where to get it. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek words en theos—en meaning “in” and theos meaning “God.” When you get en theos—“in God”—you’re going to be enthusiastic. The closer you get to God, the more energy, vitality, and passion you will have in life. The further away you get, the more bored and apathetic you’ll become. You’ve got to open your heart to Jesus.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, “Look, I’m standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I’ll come in and we’ll eat together” (GW). If you’re not a believer—or if you’re a Christian who’s wandered away from God—Jesus Christ is standing and knocking at the door of your life. But he’s a gentleman. He’s not going to bust the door down. You’ve got to open it up.

Talk It Over

• How do the people you spend time with and the things you spend your time doing make you more or less passionate about God?
• What are you passionate about? How can it bring glory to God?
• What changes can you make to your schedule to help you prioritize a daily quiet time with God?

Will you follow Jesus today?

The Bible says you can only get to heaven by trusting in God’s Son, Jesus Christ. You can’t earn your way into heaven: “It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9 NIV).If you’re ready to commit your life to Jesus, start by praying this prayer:

“Dear God, you have promised that if I believe in your Son, Jesus Christ, everything I’ve ever done wrong will be forgiven, I will learn the purpose of my life, and you will accept me into your eternal home in heaven one day.

“I confess I have sinned, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus died to take away my sins and that you raised him to life. I want to trust Jesus as my Savior and follow him as Lord from this day forward. Guide my life and help me to do your will. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

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