Is your faith in God a passion or a pastime? Are you merely a spectator passively watching from your comfortable seat in the stadium or are you a professional Christian engaged daily in the great spiritual contest of life? Do you sit back and wait for others to go, stand and speak or do you daily beseech the Father to send you to the needy, work in you to do His will and grant you the strength to boldly stand for Him?

Passive Christianity is a breeding ground for religion and religion helps no one. Going through nice looking and good sounding motions while appearing religious is not what Jesus gave His life for. A passive spectator enjoying the Christian pastime is one whose definition of Christianity is one big game. In fact, most who look at our faith this way will even pay (through offerings) for a good seat (or their name on a window).

Passion involves intense emotion and enthusiasm. Those who are passionate about what they believe in usually are called fanatics or zealots. What could possibly be wrong with becoming fanatical about our Christian faith? While many spend each day apologizing for our faith, someone needs to boldly proclaim it or the enemy wins.

God says repeatedly in the New Testament that we are the Body of Christ and members in particular. For this Body to function dynamically, each member needs to be passionate about their function and do it with great zeal and conviction. If you are called to pray, be a true prayer warrior. If you are called to preach, be someone worth listening to. If you are called to serve, be the greatest servant who ever lived. Whatever your calling may be, do it with and from your heart without hesitation or doubt.

Are you ashamed of your faith or are you so convicted that you are literally willing to live and die for it? Are you persuaded that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance? If so, then find your calling and passionately pursue it. If you are unsure of your calling, instead of merely being a spectator enjoying a pastime, do whatever it takes to know in your heart what your calling is so that you can make your calling and election sure.

If we merely want to pay for a ticket and sit in the arena watching others be eaten by lions due to their passion for the Christian faith, then we are merely along on this Christianity for the ride. If we truly desire to serve God and live our lives to the praise of His glory, then we must be willing to climb down out of our seats and into the arena of life, even if it means a personal meeting with a lion.

As the days grow darker and the times become more and more turbulent, the need for us cease looking at our faith as a game or spectator sport must end. Rise up oh men and women of God, the church for you does wait!