Taste and See

Psalm 34:8 "Taste and see that the Lord is good..."

I love this generation. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT! I believe there is so much potential, passion, and purpose released inside the hearts and spirits of this generation. MAYBE more than ever before. And it angers me to see so many people TALKING about the potential, passion, purpose of this generation, yet not many seem to want to step out and get dirty. Not many seem to have the passion to make a difference, but they will talk about this generation, and not always in a good way.

This generation is full of passion. Go to a football game... go to the local high school/middle school and see the passion for friends... go to a mall... Passion is everywhere. This generation has no problem with passion... their passion is just directed in so many different directions. There's not much meaningful passion being exhibited. Why? Simply because, in my opinion, the older generation has not done much to exhibit positive passion!

Example: We can pack a college football stadium weekly with 80,000 fans, sometimes more. We will go spend $45 for a ticket, $20 for parking, and $20 for a concessions. So in essence we will spend $85+ on a football game, and spend countless hours tailgating before AND after. It's second nature to most of us. I'm a football FREAK! I love football, I love the connection of the fans, I love the atmosphere, I love cheering for something that SEEMS meaningful. Yet, when I look at the big picture, there's not much meaningful in a football game.

The deal is this: We have misdirected passion. We will get excited about someone scoring a touchdown, yet act like it's no big deal when someone enters the Kingdom of God. Why? Misdirected passion. So, what we have done, is raise pathetic passion in believers.

We have made church, Christianity, and Jesus so passionless, boring, and non-relative that we have nothing to have passion about. So, again, I repeat: I believe this generation has the most passion, possibly ever. Passion is exhibited everywhere throughout this generation, just in the wrong avenues. So, what are we to do?

WE must become people of passion, in order to teach others to become people of passion. Passion is more than clapping your hands during an upbeat song, singing loudly, praying faster in order to sound holier, and dancing in front of the church simply to exhibit the Spirit. (all of which are ways to be people of passion) However, it is encompassed in that and MUCH more!

Psalm 34:8 "TASTE and SEE that the Lord is good..."

I believe we have become passionless because we have lost the taste of the Lord, therefore, no one can SEE that He is really good. When I taste something good, my expression changes, my actions change, and I will do whatever possible to taste that good thing again. We are passionless because the God we serve is tasteless.

But, MY God isn't tasteless. My God is the God that opened up the Red Sea, healed a paralytic, and raised Jesus from the dead. My God is the God that sent the Holy Spirit to guide/comfort me, enable men to write a book of love letters for me from Him, and wants me to be presented before Him one day blameless and without reproach! My God is FULL of taste.

I can't be passionless in my actions, my life, my words, or my writings anymore; simply because now that I've tasted how good my God is again, people must SEE that He is good. I need to offer them the fruit of my good God!

So... how do we teach this generation to be passionate about God? How do we encourage them to chase after Him, and follow His leading? WE must taste, and then allow them to SEE how good He really is. Then, they will taste, and an outbreak of passionate tasters of God will be born. The question is... what does your God taste like?