Serve Blog — May 2020

Core Value #3- Passion for God

Continuing our Missions Essentials series, this month’s Serve is written by one of our missionaries serving in a Creative Access Nation.

What do college football, coffee, and Korean popstars have in common? They are all just a few of the myriad things people claim to be passionate about. Passion is hard to define but easy to spot. Passion for God is one of BMM's Core Values, one of the foundation stones on which ministry is built. Let’s consider four obvious symptoms:

Crossroads

1. Passion involves the affections.

Passion is not just liking something but delighting in it. Not just drinking coffee but savoring it. It is a concentration of affections onto a singular object or pursuit. As those called to God’s work, we must find that knowing Him through His Word and prayer is not only a duty but also a daily delight!

2. Passion leads to perceived excess.

One team t-shirt is not enough: passion purchases a team mug, team hoodie, and even a team dog sweater! Those outside looking in consider passion to be “too much.” Your zealous devotion will produce unquestioned obedience that may not fit within others’ perceptions of “normal” Christian life. Following Jesus may lead you to dangerous waters to fish for men (Mark 1:17). It may lead you to abandon the American Dream and other comforts. Or abundance of love for God may overflow in reaching out to those others overlook.

Village

3. Passion is always progressing.

For many here in Asia, what begins with having a poster of their favorite star grows to dreaming of meeting them, dating them, marrying them! Passion always wants to level up, to expand, or to deepen. This core value of passion is essential for future missions because it fuels scriptural missions advance. In the New Testament, we see that the desire for God’s glory led to ever-widening horizons of outreach (Rom. 15:19-21), ever-deepening desires to know Him (Phil. 3:8,10), and ever-increasing willingness to sacrifice to finish the task (Acts 20:24). New territories. New contacts. New growth in self and others. Knowing His Word better. Praying more. The language of passion is “more, deeper, farther.”

Serve may

4. Passion is contagious.

Encountering passionate people will leave you changed and spur your own passions. My own passion for God has been deepened and encouraged by seeing others who also love Him and serve Him zealously. Among my fellow servants with BMM, I have seen affections stirred to have corporate devotion and prayer times before work at the BMM Home Office. I have seen a pursuit of excellence in publications and presentations. I have seen an eagerness to find creative and fresh ways to engage people—a holy discontent for the current boundaries of gospel outreach. BMM’s president urges diligent prayer for more laborers, driven by the passion to see more people share our passion for Him!


BMM is a family of passionate people. Not passionate for college football, coffee, or pop stars. Our primary passion is knowing God and making Him known. What are you passionate about?


Previous Article:

Core Value #2 Global Outreach

Next Article:

Core Value #4 Integrity

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