From Plot to Passion

Savannah gets a chance to view The Passion of The Christ tonight with her cousin and some friends from a youth group at a different church.  She has already seen it, but we know a few of the other kids will be seeing it for the first time and discussing it afterwards.  I warned her not to give away anything or be a spoiler ...I meant the whole experience of the movie...to be sensitive to the others who have not seen it and allow it to be absorbed...know what I'm saying?...I guess I should have said it that way...exactly.....Anyway, Kenna said, "Yeah, better not tell them Jesus dies."  KIDS!

In her defense, she has not experienced the movie yet and was thinking totally in terms of the plot....and thinking of how crazy her weird mom is sometimes :)  But, the story is so much more than the PLOT, isn't it!!!  I always pray that my kids will "Get it!" BUT, it's like this...when I start to think about them and pray that God will show them some of the depth in the story of our...their redemption,  I always realize I have to make sure I am "GETTING IT" too.

I like that this picture uses the word consumed in it because that is the word I have been thinking of for what I really want to be in Christ...no fake stuff...no wasted time....nothing just for the sake of something I do because I have just always done it....no more nothingness....just a pure fire for Him and His Kingdom to come in and through me.  I think about the passion of Daniel and it is so amazing to me...faithful in prayer even to the LIONS DEN...but also faithful in choosing what foods to eat...no wonder GOD could use him greatly , but, then there are others like Peter and David who we are able to see on the days they are the worst versions of themselves....but, we also know they were greatly used by GOD and brought back to a place of righteousness in Christ....God builds His church on those rocks and no giants can overcome them.  That should be encouraging that even if we are not "On Fire" or "Consumed" for Christ right now...we can be.

I talk about prayer sometimes and the importance of loving God's Word in my blogs, both are vital to life in the Spirit...but, it occurred to me today that if we are doing these things and still not experiencing Christ in a personal way that is undeniably real....we need to go back to our first love.  What does that mean...what was the first act of love toward Christ for me as a believer?  Confession and repentance.  Just like some of us...ME... in our married lives..."I'm sorry, will you forgive me" aren't easily formed with the mouth...because they aren't easily accepted or admitted in the pride of our heart.  BUT, a heart of love is one that is quick to right any wrong and to make right a relationship just to have that relationship...to live in righteousness.  Yes, I am suggesting that there may be some sin blocking our relationship from being what it could be with Christ.  I wish we could just say SIN...blah! we even hide from that word, so how are we supposed to deal with it?  When the Bible tells us to go back to our first love, I have always thought of the feelings I had in first knowing I was saved....yes, let's go back to the warmest of warm fuzzies...I like those days :) but, what if the first love is that painful moment of declaring I am a sinner and need Christ to consume me with His passion....the day when my pride meant nothing and Christ in me meant everything?  The day of my desperation...The day summed up by my heart crying "I'd die to be with you!" Can we go all the way back to that day?