This could be the Yerba Mate talking...

In my time with God today, I was distracted.  I am staring at a cup of Yerba Mate tea.  Jarrod has introduced me to this wonderful practice of drinking a substance that I don't normally enjoy.  Here is the description of Yerba Mate from eHow.com:

Yerba Mate, a tea culturally tied to Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, is fast becoming a tea trend of its own in the United States. Traditionally drunk from hollowed out gourds through a special filtering straw (called a bombilla), Yerba Mate is believed to improve mental clarity and digestion, boost the immune system and increase energy without the jitters associated with caffeine.


It may be the fact that you get to drink it through a cool straw, but I like the stuff.  Looking at the tea in turn made me look at the two unused, yet out of date, fire extinguishers I have sitting in my office. They are just waiting to be turned into some sort of crazy video project for our college student, intern type, people.  The very purpose of fire extinguishers - not these mind you as we have far more sinister plans- but most fire extinguishers, are to dampen or snuff out fire.  They suffocate the fuel source.  They take away oxygen or heat from the fire causing it to die. 


This got me thinking about things that dampen or snuff out my passion for God.  Things that take away from my longing to know my savior in a more intimate way.  There are things in my life that intrinsically lessen my desire to be present in front of a holy God.  These things are God extinguishers.  Unfortunately they don't come in easy to recognize shiny red containers.  They are however conveniently located.  Easy enough to find that you don't really have to search to find them.  


C.S. Lewis wrote:


"I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God.  The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate.  The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire.  Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.  Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people.  He waits to be wanted.  Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain."

I have been reading about David, and have been inspired by his passion. I have come to the conclusion that passion is the life blood in reaching out to unchristian people.  David had passion.  Paul had passion.  Jesus had passion.  People are longing for something authentic to believe in.  Keep in mind, the scribes and pharisees were passionate.  Sometimes passion can get us into trouble.  Look at David.  His passion sometimes burned for God, and sometimes burned for his next door neighbors wife.  The pharisees passion was for the correct interpretation of the law.  David's passion was refined he became a man after God's own heart.  The pharisees passion was misguided.  They became the ones who led the people to kill the messiah.

If passionate people become passionate for Christ, we can change the world.  Wow, that was tweetable.  Now it's time not to be distracted by tea, although I need a refill, and fire extinguishers and get to work being passionate for Jesus Christ.  May that passion show through tonight as I bring God's truth to our students.

Trevor