Misplaced Passion

Mark 15:11 (ESV)

But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him [Pilate] release for them Barabbas instead.

Acts 19:32 (ESV)

Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

Hebrews 10:24 (ESV)

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

It’s crazy to think about how much power people have to stir each other up. In Mark 15, the chief priests stirred up the crowd, convincing Pilate to release Barabbas instead of Jesus. In Acts 19, a disgruntled, greedy silversmith stirred up the crowd against Paul and his companions because their message of the gospel had disrupted his sales (he crafted silver shrines of the Ephesian god, Artemis).

Passion is contagious, so if we’re stirring others up, let’s make sure we’re stirring them up for the right things. Let’s stir one another up to love and good works! If we’re 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 stirred up, let’s make sure we’re getting stirred up for the right things. 

The motive of the chief priests was envy, although they ascribed their actions to the name of God. The motive of the silversmith was greed, although he ascribed his actions to the name of 𝘩𝘪𝘴 god. The motive behind someone’s passion may not be what it appears, so we have to use discernment. We don’t want to misplace our passion.

Love and good works are a great way to summarize the purpose of life (Matthew 22:37-39, Ephesians 2:10). So let’s intentionally place our passion on those things! If we purposely 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦 our passion on the things of God, then our passion won’t be easily 𝘮𝘪𝘴placed.