Consuming Passion

Day 4
Does God really call us to have all consuming passion?
Lets check out the following verses in the Message
Mark 12:29
Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.' And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."
Mark 12:32
The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate—that God is one and there is no other. And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!
Luke 10:27
He said, "That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself."

What are you truly passionate about excluding your church and church family?
* Sports
* exercising
* scrap booking
* gardening
Whatever you are passionate about usually takes up time in your day. Maybe time in the physical sense or time by consuming your thoughts.

What is your passion for Gods kingdom?
* working with the youth
* your small group
* mentoring women
We have so many passions and desires that add to God's kingdom and those talents and passions were given to us by him.
Yet we are told that our first love our first passion is to be for God himself.
If we truly love someone , we know them and we trust them and we have some history with them. How has your love for God grown in the last few years?
If we are loving the Lord with all that we have who do you think in your life will take notice?
* kids
* husband
* friends
*
I do want that all consuming passion in my life and I also want it to be noticeable , mainly to my children.
How can we show our children in a tangible way that we do love the Lord with all of our heart soul and mind?

I have a fun little book in my kitchen
The Power of a Positive Mom by Karol Ladd
It has very cute and practical ways for us to not only be positive
but to show our kids our love for the Lord.
Here are a few examples :
* Make a God box - Let the kids decorate a shoe box and every time they are worried about something they write that concern on a card and put it in the box as a reminder that they are casting their cares on God
* Teach your kids the Ten Commandments
* Start a Thanksgiving Journal - Using a blank notebook begin recording prayers of thanks to God on a regular basis. And take time to look back and remember what God has done in your family's life.
For my children to see my consuming passion I can do no greater thing than to be in Gods word and show his love to them. I hope that we all show one person today that God loves them.