Tag: passion for God

Awe

Posted in attributes of God, mini theologies for missionaries, missions, theologyTagged , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

WHY FAN INTO FLAME A PASSION FOR GOD

When I walked into the sultan’s courtyard it was my first time visiting someone who would be considered a king. We were welcomed by his assistant who led us to a waiting area where we’d get to meet his excellence. Before we stepped up towards the veranda of the sultan’s palace, we removed our shoes. As we entered the room where the sultan sat, we bowed our heads and continually faced his direction. Even though we were in rural and dusty Chad, Africa there was a regality and reverence to the occasion that I will never forget.

It is way too easy to forget that I am consistently in the presence of royalty. God is King. The King’s Spirit resides in His people. My body is more than a sultan’s palace, it is a holy temple. Wherever I go, He goes too. When I think about what drew me to the nations, it was a sense of wanting to spread the fame of God’s name to places and people where He was not yet named or worshiped.

Human’s are hardwired for awe. We can awe people, money, power, and stuff. You can have it all and miss awe. We can become awe forgetful, awe discouraged, awe empty, awe seduced, awe kidnapped, awe numb, and awe weary. 

God is truly the most awesome. To awe is to have a passion for God. A passion for God is not merely a fleeting emotion; it’s a deep-seated, all-consuming devotion that permeates every aspect of a believer’s life. It’s an active, vibrant love for God that expresses itself in various ways. It is a Soli Deo lifestyle that seeks to live unto God alone.

In essence, a passion for God is the heartbeat of a living faith. It’s a spiritual fire that needs tending and spreading, and the benefits of doing so are immeasurable, for your own good, for the good of others, and most importantly, for the glory of God.

Fanning a passion for God into flame is not about striving to earn His love or perform for Him. It’s about experiencing the fullness of life He offers and being an instrument in His hands who passes that awe down to the generation that follows.

BIBLICAL REFLECTION OF AWE

Pioneer mission work is inherently challenging, often characterized by isolation, resistance, and a constant need for resilience. In such demanding contexts, a deep-seated awe of God is not merely a pleasant sentiment but a foundational necessity. It provides perspective, fuels endurance, and empowers effective ministry. This brief theology explores the biblical concept of awe and its practical implications for those pioneering God’s kingdom.

Awe defined: Biblical awe (aka: “fear of the Lord”) isn’t a cowering dread, but a profound reverence, wonder, and respect for God’s infinite majesty, power, holiness, and love. It’s a recognition of God’s utter transcendence and immanence, His absolute otherness, and His intimate presence. This awe transforms the way we understand of ourselves, the world, and the mission. (Psalm 33:8; 66:5; 89:7; Hebrews 12:28)

God’s Transcendence: Awe grasps the vastness of God’s being, His uncreated nature, His eternality, and His sovereign control over all things. This understanding humbles us, reminding us that our plans and efforts are ultimately dependent on Him. For the pioneer, this means trusting God’s overarching plan even when immediate results are unseen or obstacles seem insurmountable. (Psalm 33:8-9; Isaiah 40:12-17; Job 37:22-24; Revelation 15:3-4)

God’s Immanence: While transcendent, God is also intimately involved in His creation and the lives of His people. Awe acknowledges His presence, His unwavering faithfulness, and His active working in and through us. This encourages the pioneer, assuring them that they are never truly alone and that God is at work even in the most barren of lands. (Isaiah 57:15; Acts 17:27-28; Matthew 1:23)

God’s Holiness and Righteousness: Awe recognizes God’s absolute purity and perfection. This prompts repentance, confession, and a desire to live lives that honor Him. For the pioneer, this means a commitment to personal integrity and ethical conduct, understanding that their lives are a testimony. (Leviticus 10:3; 1 Samuel 2:2; Psalm 99:3-5)

God’s Love and Mercy: Perhaps the most profound aspect of biblical awe is the wonder at God’s boundless love and mercy, especially as revealed in the cross of Christ. This love, extended to undeserving humanity, evokes deep gratitude and motivates compassionate service. For the pioneer, this fuels a self-giving love for the unreached, mirroring God’s own heart. (Psalm 103:8-14; John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

Cultivating a deep, abiding awe of God is not an optional extra. It aligns our hearts with God’s, empowers us to overcome adversity, and transforms us into vibrant witnesses of His awesome reality to the unreached peoples of the nations.

What other Scriptures or biblical aspects come to mind when you consider an awe for God? Take a few moments to look up 1-2 of these verses and journal what the Lord highlights for you.

“Awe means that you will look at everything in your life through the lens of God’s Existence and Glory, and you will surrender all your life to His purpose.” — Paul Tripp, Awe

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWE

Nothing but awe of God will sustain someone on the field. If it is not awe of God, then the heart will gravitate towards substitute awes. When awe of self or something else supplants awe of God, God ceases to be King and He is reduced to being your servant. When the mission doesn’t produce vertical awe of God, something is amiss. When an awe of God fuels the pioneer in the mission field several outcomes emerge:

Humility and Dependence: Awe reminds me of my smallness and God’s greatness, fostering a spirit of complete dependence on Him for wisdom, strength, and guidance. This counters self-reliance and burnout.

Courage and Boldness: When God is seen in His awesomeness, fear of humans diminishes. The pioneer, filled with awe for God, can face persecution, opposition, and daunting challenges with supernatural courage. They will even pray for boldness (Acts 4:23-31).

Resilience and Endurance: Awe provides a deep well of motivation that sustains through hardship and discouragement. Knowing the awesome God is with them, pioneers can persevere even when the fruit is slow in coming.

Worship and Joy: Awe naturally leads to worship, even in difficult circumstances. This worship fuels joy, which is a source of strength and a vital witness to others (Matthew 9:8).

Effective Witness: A life lived in awe of God is a contagious and compelling testimony. One’s awe and connections with God can be more effective than words alone.

Spiritual Discernment: Awe cultivates a sensitivity to God’s presence and leading, enabling pioneers to discern His will and walk in obedience amid complex cultural and spiritual landscapes.

PRAYER ACTION

Consider the Scriptures you cling to above. Consider your awe of God. Write a prayer for the kind of person you want to be who fans into flame a passion of God in yourself and others.

BUILDING A PRACTICAL MINI-THEOLOGY OF AWE

Take some time to prayerfully draft your practical mini-theology of “awe” by responding to these questions:

What is awe and/or a passion for God? Why is this needed to go to hard places?

example: God is… We are the kind of people who… It is most like us/me to… We/I will… We/I hold to…

What does it look like to live a Soli Deo lifestyle? How does this kind of lifestyle relate to surrender?

Why not just fan your flame for God, but start mini fires wherever you go? What does it look like to fan into flame a passion for God?

Once you finish share your responses with your mentor. Ask for feedback. Adjust your draft as needed.

Additional Resources for Going Deeper:
Awe, Paul David Tripp
The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
The Heart of Pioneers, Steve Richardson

following in His steps

Posted in discipleship, followership, leadership, student ministriesTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

“Our Lord’s first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men. His obedience brought the outcome of the saving of men. If I am devoted to the cause of humanity only, I will soon be exhausted and come to the place where my love will falter. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity though men treat me as a doormat.” – Oswald Chambers

followership begins with a passion for God and compassion for people.

True followership begins with a passion for Jesus Christ. Jesus is passionate about building His church. This passion is as contagious as a runny nose in mid-Winter because it flows into our compassion for others. Those who discipled me from middle school until now have modeled a real passionate faith. So passionate that I want to be like Christ because they looked so much like Christ.

Whether we are discipling to Christ or in Christ all Christ’s. I cringe at the idea of calling someone “my disciple”. This is a term we find in the New Testament only coming from the mouth of Jesus. As believers in Christ we are His disciples. I am not a disciple of any man but Christ. Paul talked about “my son” Timothy, “my brother” Ephaphroditus, and co-laborers as “my fellow servants”. New Testament authors never called a fellow believer “my disciple” or “my follower.” in fact, Paul freaks out when he hears that some are calling themselves followers of Paul or Apollos. “ Is Christ divided? he wrote, with evident frustration. “Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?” [1 Corinthians 1:13] Paul had his eyes on Jesus, so He must be our focus and passion as followers too.

followership invites others to “be with” you.

Christ appointed twelve followers and “designating them apostles, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach.” [Mark 3:14] Christ is the initiator in challenging and calling men. His vision is clear: before they were unleashed to the world they were invited to “be with Him”.

As a follower of Christ His presence is with us always [cf. Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:5]. The original twelve followers were “with Him”, and Jesus “with them.” We find Jesus in their homes, having dinner with their friends, and engaging lovingly with their enemies. True followership begins by inviting others to be with you.

followership is being shaped into the image of God together.

“We proclaim Christ, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His might, which so powerfully works in me.” [Colossians 1:28-29] Our goal for every follower is to reach maturity in Christ, that their life begin to look like His.

An artist was asked what he would paint on the white canvas. “You see a blank canvas,” he said. “But I see a mountain, lake and beautiful sunrise. As I gaze at the canvas I smell the mountain air, feel the brisk morning air coming of the lake, and then simply brush the strokes of color onto the canvas.” As followers of Christ His portrait should always be before us, and the canvas of our lives is being transformed into the beautiful image of Christ.

followership is not complete until the follower becomes a teacher.

In Matthew 28:19-20, we often miss the an important point of the Great Commission. I would call it the Great Omission because Jesus says to His followers, “teach everyone everything you have heard and seen in me.”

As a follower of Christ I am doing the ministry of multiplication. No one is becoming mature in Christ until they begin to reproduce Christ in others. Jesus sent His followers out to serve without Him. He warned them they would need at some point to carry the message on their own.  A follower of Christ was prepared from the beginning to make other follower, who in turn made other follower, who made still more follower. And so the gospel of Christ reached you and me.

What if doormat discipleship characterized each of our ministries? What if people were truly shaped into the image of Christ through discipling relationships? What if followership began to take on a life all its own, bigger than any program in our church? What if people left our ministries and continued to make followers of Christ for the rest of their lives? This is the path Jesus destined for His followers to walk after His death [Matthew 28:19-20].