Passion Is Often Misunderstood

“Again, think ye that we excuse ourselves unto you? we speak before God in Christ: but [we do] all things, dearly beloved, for your edifying.” (2Co 12:19 AV)

If we are not familiar with Paul’s earlier words, we might take these words as overbearing.  Without knowing the heart of Paul towards the Corinthian church, we might assume he is telling this church that he is not apologizing for his tone of voice or use of words.  If they think I was hard, tough luck.  That might be the idea which we walk away with.  However, time and again, Paul affirms his love for them and tells them he is fighting for their holiness.  He deeply wants this church to walk after Christlikeness.  Paul’s heart was broken when he got the news from Chloe regarding the problems of this church.  He planted this church with some of his first Gentile converts.  He endured much for its inception.  Paul prayed and labored much for this church to succeed in one of the most wicked of all cities in the Roman empire.  It is easy to misunderstand someone’s passion.  We often see it as something undesirable at best, or nefarious at worst.

Years ago, I was asked to preach an ordination.  This ordination was of a young man whom I devoted my life to.  His ordination meant more to me than most.  I labored much.  I prayed much more.  When the time came, I preached his charge.  I did so with passion and conviction.  To some, it seemed overbearing.  I had many comments following that sermon.  Some really liked it.  Others were put off.  But the thing is, I was preaching to the young man going into ministry.  I was not preaching to the crowd.  He needed to see the seriousness of what he was committing to.  He needed to see the eternal weight of what God had called him to do.  He needed to see the burden placed on him in its full duty so that when the hard times come, which they have, he was more than prepared for it.  When the days of compromise come knocking at his door, I pray the sermon that offended some would be the strength to bar that door tight!  Passion is not something taken lightly.  Passion rises from the depths of the soul.  Passion is the declarative credibility behind the message and, to some, the intensity is too much to bear.

I find a lack of passion in today’s preaching.  Most of it is motivation preaching or a verbal advice column.  There is little passion from the pulpit.  The church may not endure another Paul.  We have gotten so soft that if anyone preaches the hard truth with the unction of the Holy Spirit, we would be blown out of our seats.  We are complacent because we define our lives by comfort and affirmation.  What we do not want is to be challenged and pushed to a higher or deeper walk with God.  If we dare name sin or speak of the wrath of God, we are never asked back.  Too much negativity, they say.  Too much reality, they claim.  Nothing but rainbows and unicorns, please.  No hard truth.  We have become so callous against the consequences of sin that we are no longer affected by the preaching that warns of them.  Paul couldn’t stomach that.  He couldn’t allow a church for which he labored much to go without the hard truths of God’s word.  Even if he was a one and done evangelist, it had to be done.  Lives depended on it.  Souls depended on it.