Preferences or Passions?

All of us prefer things. I prefer a big glass of milk when I am eating something sweet. I prefer my burgers and pizza to have no vegetables on them. I prefer listening to sports talk on the radio. I prefer showing up too early, rather than too late. There are a lot of preferences I have, which I will not bore you with right now. I am sure each of you have some preferences, maybe a lot of them. Some of the preferences maybe a little stronger than others. No matter what those are, they are our preferences and they make us who we are.
I am passionate about somethings. Some of the passions are serious and deep, while others are not so serious. I am passionate about the sports teams I root for. I am passionate about being the man God has called me to be as a husband, father and minister. Those two passions are no where close to each other on my radar of passions, but both are passions. I am also passionate about making sure people who do not have a real relationship with Jesus, find one. If you are a believer, this should be one of your passions too, one that is also the top of your list or close to!
The definition of preferences and passions in the dictionary are completely different. One means a choice or a right to claim. The other means powerful or compelling emotion or feeling. In a book these maybe different, but are they different in our lives and even churches? We often confuse the two, because one makes us feel more comfortable, more like us. It makes us feel like we are in control. I believe that is not how we are to live. Our relationship with Christ should not be a preferred one, when we feel like it, what we like, always about us. Instead have a passion and want in that relationship. God is so passionate about you and I, He gave us the greatest gift possible. His love is unfailing, His grace is never ending and His want to be in our life is a unmistakable. Too great and too much for us to prefer God, instead of being passionate about Him.
Each day I am trying to let God be my passion and keep my preferences to the way I eat my snacks, after I have my burgers and pizza, while listening to sports talk radio!