We were created through God’s passionate desire for us. And a similar passion continues to run through our veins. But sin distorts our desires and this passion is expressed in many unholy ways. Denying sin doesn’t require us to kill the deep desires of our heart. We must discover a pure and holy passion for our lives, or many dark passions will take us out.
For instance, many sexual sins are best understood as misdirected passions. We long for our personal presence to make a difference and to create an impact for good in the world. And we’re more vulnerable to sexual temptations without a meaningful outlet to express these desires. Sex offers a profound and embodied experience of our creative passions. And it’s very tempting to use it as a shortcut whenever we feel bored or that our hunger for life is otherwise blocked or denied. But this is also why many sexual sins are not about sex at their core; we’re simply trying to tap into a deeper experience of life and our creative energies. And discovering a holy passion for our life then becomes a strong antidote to sexual and many other sins.
A holy passion is what we’re able to pour our life out into wholeheartedly. It’s the motivating desire behind our calling and life’s mission, and our way of bringing light into a dark world. While a few of us might be able to express this passion through our paid employment, it’s important for us all to discover it however it might be expressed. It’s what makes us come alive and that pearl of great value that makes everything else pale in comparison.
We remain vulnerable to searching in all the wrong places without it. But we’re less likely to be deceived by false and unholy passions once we discover it.
In the end, what is that pure and holy passion you can give yourself to wholeheartedly? This discovery is a lifeline out of many troubling temptations.
