Luke 14:26-27 – If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters — yes, even his own life — he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (NIV)

"Scrapbooking is my passion", my friend said. "I love it. I could devote all my waking hours to it."

Several more times during the party, I heard others describe their love of "scrapbooking" as their passion. Hearing their comments reminded me that this was what Jesus wanted when He called people to be His disciples or followers. He wanted to be the passion in their lives. He wants us to give Him centre stage in our lives and make being His disciples the burning passion in our lives.

Many interpreters think that Jesus was using hyperbole when He used the phrase "hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters". Whatever way one attempts to understand the phrase, the idea is still clear that He wanted His disciples to be passionate, enthusiastic, and committed to Him first — and then other roles would fall into place.

If our passion for something is divided, it is weakened. To be truly passionate about a project or person means that it is first and foremost in our hearts. This is what Jesus is asking of us. He wants to be first; to be our passion, our teacher, our example, our model. He wants to be the pattern or blueprint for the building of our lives.

Prayer: Lord, come into our lives and be our centre — the passion burning enthusiastically, warmly, and courageously in us, making our journey through life worthwhile. Teach us how to be Your passionate disciples. Amen.

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