(C) 2009, Amy S. Lewis

In the winter, often weeks will go by that I don’t see Ernie. I don’t have the arguable pleasure of caring for him every day. So, when the weather in Minnesota turns cold, it’s easy to stay home where it’s warm. As time passes though, I miss him more and more. There’s just something about the way he smells and how he reminds me to relax. Life seems to take on a different pace around him. Knowing that feeling deep inside me makes me long for him more. He is so precious to me.

Horses, particularly mine, are a passion for me. Emotionally, physically, spiritually, I’m drawn to horses. Other people are passionate about sports, reading, travel. Our passions become the focus of our time and attention. What or who are you passionate about? How does that activity make you feel? Why are you drawn to that person?

Imagine being the subject of someone else’s passion. He is drawn to you. He has an overwhelming love and desire to be with you, to do anything in His power to make you happy. He wants to spend time with you. You are His sole focus.

That person is Christ. He is so passionate about you, about me, about all of us, that he was willing to die for us, to pay the penalty for our sins. Not just die but be beaten, spit on, mocked, paraded through town and killed on a cross for everyone to see. Now that’s passion. He knew all that would happen and still went on.

Did it ever occur to you that the passion you may feel towards your horse, your spouse or your child is miniscule compared to the love God and Jesus feel for you?

Picture Jesus hanging on the cross. Imagine what may have been going through his mind: “I am doing this to save you, can’t you see it? Come to me. I love you.” There is no passion that equals the passion that Christ has for us.

All He wants is for us to believe in Him. He wants to have a relationship with each of us. He wants us to come to Him when we’re confused, lonely, afraid, and when we’re happy and content. He longs for you.

In Romans 6:23 we’re told, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Through our faith in Christ, we don’t have to pay our penalty.

1 John 4:10: “This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”

If you have not yet trusted in Christ as your savior, will you now? See http://www.allaboutgod.com/Salvation-Prayer.htm for a simple prayer to confess your faith in Christ.

Questions for reflection:
1. What in this life are you passionate about and why? How does it make you feel?
2. How does it feel to know that Christ is passionate about you? So passionate that he would die for you?
3. Christ just wants to be with you. How can you make more time for Him today?