Twice recently I (Penny) have been asked this question: "So, what are you passionate about?"  Both times the question took me aback, with my brain scrambling to respond intelligently. This appears to be the current "get to know you" question and I felt unprepared to answer.

Passion, according the dictionary, is "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling".   Therefore to be passionate is to be "ruled by or compelled by intense emotion or strong feeling".  So it would seem that the question of the day, the question that other Christians think should be asked of another whom they wish to know is - what do you feel the most strongly about?  Aha! This explains why the "passion question" has been a difficult one for me.  I do not consider my feelings about any subject to be a key component to my life or ministry. 

God has been teaching me from day one of my spiritual journey, that what I know is supremely more important than what I feel.

My feelings are deceiving.  My emotions are dependent on whether I have had enough sleep; whether my husband is giving me enough attention; and whether it is rainy or sunny outside.  But my feelings and emotions - compelling as they may be - are not to rule my life.  Whether I am riding high on the mountain of success, or muddling through the valley of discouragement, I must daily submit these feelings to the truth of God's word.   

Now that we have cleared up why I found this question a difficult one, I want to articulate as honestly as possible where my passions lie.

I am passionate about:

·         Jesus - I want to know Him and love Him better every day. 

·          My husband - (Read my previous post entitled "I married the evangelist in the pea green suit").

·         My children and grandchild - After ministry to Ken my greatest ministry has been, and is, to influence and pray for the salvation and sanctification of my offspring and extended family.

·         The church and the seminary - ministering alongside my husband as God directs.

But here is the thing...

No matter now I feel today about Jesus or my husband or my children or my duties at the seminary or my church, I am still going to do what I know I should do.  I will read my Bible, pray for and minister to my husband and my family, and serve Jesus in the tasks big and small, planned or unexpected that come my way...because the love of Christ compels me (2 Cor 5:14); because I know that Jesus is mine and I am His eternally (Jn 10:28); and I am confident of His leading, guiding, protecting Hand (Ps 139)...hm, I guess I do feel quite passionately about all that!