"The one concentrated passion of the life is Jesus Christ. Whenever you meet this note in a man, you feel he is a man after God's own heart" -- Oswald.
This I do not have. And I do not know how to get it. I am not passionately in love with Jesus Christ. I want to be, but I do not know how to connect with him other than this feeble search for thoughts and ideas. It is as though he is an historical figure -- one who revolutionized history, yes -- but still a figure from the past. I know he lives. A living Christ is central to the faith, and I will sing of his resurrection this Sunday. But knowledge is not relationship. I'm not even sure that faith is relationship.
Oswald wrote that when the scales fell from Paul's eyes and he received his sight, he also "received spiritually an insight into the Person of Jesus Christ, and the whole of his subsequent life and preaching was nothing but Jesus Christ." He received it. It was given to him. He wasn't even seeking it. Paul was a Christ-hater, devoted to arresting his followers. That description of heart change sounds like what I would describe as salvation, but does salvation always leave the saved one in love with his Savior? If so, what is wrong with me?
I am like Martha who was busy with many things. Can I be a wife, a mother, a writer, a friend and still be like Mary who knew the best thing was to sit at the feet of Jesus? Is my heart beyond softening? Do I still have scales on my eyes?
How, Jesus, do I become a woman whose one concentrated passion is You?
I might be putting my neck out by saying this, but I'm not sure I agree with Oswald on this one. If God intended Christ to be our one true passion only, then why be bothered with anything else that this life has to offer. God did give us this life and all that goes with it after all. Why give a mother passionate love for her children if Christ should be the only passion. Why bother with other relationships at all? Jesus himself commanded us to love God first, love our neighbor as ourselves, but he never said have passion and devotion to me only.
ReplyDeleteDawn, I think you're right that we are supposed to love and be passionate about other people in addition to Christ. My problem is that I'm not sure I feel love and passion for Jesus -- not like I do for my husband or my children -- and I do not see them through my passion for him.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean. Same here, although I often think that my passion for people in my life comes from the Holy Spirit. With out him I don't think I'd care as much as I do. Although most of the time I'm not feeling the love towards Christ. I depend more on faith, which seems to come easier for me.
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