Passion, emotion and zeal will only help us to a certain point in our relationship with God. Their fuel is ever changing and often fickle. At times, it is mixed with many things that can hinder us, hurt us or hold us back.
Have you ever relied on emotions? The results can be awful! In the past, emotions and experiences used to be the basis for how I perceived my relationship with God and my “performance” in this life. This allowed for some good times, but more often it caused feelings of condemnation to be a part of daily life because—as you know—none of us can measure up to God’s standard.
This is why the Gospel is such good news! Christ Jesus paid the price for us: Our righteousness is based on His performance, not ours. Thank goodness!
So what should the foundation of our passion for Jesus be based on?
The foundation for our passion for Jesus Christ must be centered on a true knowledge of who He is, His characteristics and ways. Our passion for Jesus cannot be ruled by what we feel—our emotions and experiences.
All these change and falter, proving themselves unreliable in how we perceive God and our relationship with Him as well as with others. Emotions change. Our feelings can be wrong. There is a saying many of us know: “feelings lie.” Faith is not a feeling, so we have to center it on something else to help our passion for God remain steady.
If we allow feelings to lead our relationship with God and the practice of our faith, we may fall prey to self-condemnation, wrong perceptions, or even false teaching, or experience-centered Christianity. Instead, we want our life with God to be based on His Word, with our trust being settled in Christ and what He has done for us.
The foundation of our passion for Christ Jesus is and must always be the Word of God. Our passion for Christ can only have the greatest stability when it is founded on God’s truth in the Bible. When we base our passion for Him on anything else, we are easily tossed to and fro.
When your emotions try to take center stage, remember 2 Corinthians 5:7.
“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7 (CSB)
With God’s help we seek to walk by faith rather than allowing feelings, emotions, or experiences rule our lives. He is faithful and unchanging, His Word ever sure. As we seek to live passionate lives for Jesus Christ, may that passion’s foundation be in God and His truth above all.
MusicalTheologian.com 
Amanda, hi. Thanks for the reminder that our emotions don’t run the show … and certainly don’t define our faith in Christ. Yes, we pay attention to what they might be whispering to us, but our faith is built on a strong foundation that never changes like shifting sand.
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Amen! Thank you, Linda.
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There’s a lot of truth in your post, Amanda! It took me a while to learn that I mustn’t let emotions rule my decisions and my perceptions. When we filter our lives through the truths of God’s word, we can live passionately and keep us grounded when life goes sideways.
I think your post would be an encouragement to others over at the Tell His Story linkup, found on my site. It would be wonderful if you linked up there.
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Thanks so much, Jeanne!
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