May 25, 2022
Unbridled Passion Without Accountability
My child your passion is a beautiful thing! Passion ignites the fire inside to fulfill the vision that has been deposited in you. It is the first step to:
1. Achievement
2. Increase your willpower
3. Changing you
4. Makes the impossible possible
However, passion not without perspective brings death. (2 Samuel 13:22-29) It will find expression in either healthy or unhealthy ways. (2 Samuel 14:28-30) People who are not discerning will follow passion over their own beliefs, even when it is unwise. (2 Samuel 15:1-2) A person who follows passion defeats a person who follows protocol. (2 Samuel 15:13-14) Self-centered passion always skews, twists, and distorts the judgment of people. (2 Samuel 16:22)
Uncontrolled passion without accountability damages everyone near it. (2 Samuel 17:18) When passion outweighs wisdom, you sabotage yourself. (2 Samuel 18:9) An excellent example of this is Absalom. King David, his father, sinned when he pursued a married woman Bathsheba, committed adultery, got her pregnant, and had her husband Uriah put on the front lines in the battle where he was killed. (2 Samuel 11:11-17) Nathan, the prophet, warned David that the sword (a curse) would never leave his house. (2 Samuel 12:10) David suffered and endured domestic problems from that day on; deception, adultery, incest, and even murder. He never figured out how to deal with rebellion successfully. It was as though his anointing and authority left him.
Absalom David’s son became very angry with Amnon and raped his sister Tamar and David did nothing about it. (2 Samuel 13:22) He became furious because his dad did not hold Amnon accountable. Absalom tried and failed at getting time to see his father. It was as though King David had abandoned his role as the head, spiritual leader of his family. At long last, Absalom couldn’t take it any longer; he got everyone’s attention by committing two crimes. Absalom murdered his brother Amnon for raping his sister. David sent him away for his crime. (2 Samuel 13:37-38) After a long while, Absalom was permitted to return, then he got angry with General Joab and set his field on fire. (2 Samuel 14:30) No matter what Absalom did, he couldn’t get his dad’s attention, and he so desperately wanted it.
Do you have a child who desires your attention, and you have not had the time of day for him/her? If a child cannot get the parent’s attention by behaving, they will get their attention by rebelling. He was past the boiling point with anger; he used his passion for sabotaging King David’s leadership. Absalom convinced the people to bring their lawsuits to him. He lobbied for support from his administration, and he raised an army to rebel against the King. In the end, Absalom died a rebel who went astray. When you embrace passion before you learn submission, trouble will always follow. Passion helps develop you. But passion must pour from the heart of a man/woman who is wise, accountable, submissive, and unselfish.
