Live With Passion

Hacksaw Ridge is a raw movie. It contains realistic battle scenes that accurately depict the horror of war. The movie also accurately depicts the difficulties for people who passionately stick to their faith. Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Pfc. Desmond Doss, an American soldier who served in WWII. Doss entered the army as a medic because he wanted to save lives rather than take them; he also was a conscientious objector and refused to carry a gun. In the movie, Doss is quickly branded a coward, and ostracized and abused by his fellow soldiers for his religious stance. In the Battle of Okinawa, however, Doss shows his true colors.

After his division had retreated from the ridge, he worked tirelessly through the night to save men who had been injured and left behind during the previous day’s fighting. By the end of the battle, Desmond Doss had risked his own life over and over again to save 75 men – without firing a single shot. His story is wonderfully inspiring, but not because he was a particularly impressive person. He didn’t have a lot of money or charisma or connections. He was, in fact, pretty ordinary in every way, except one. That one thing that set Doss apart was his passion for his convictions. And he stayed passionate even when everybody around him valiantly tried to dismiss that passion.

So, what do we get fired up over? What are we passionate about? And how do we grow our passion? Increasing our passion is a worthwhile goal. God has given each of us a unique passion — a special ability and a specific place to serve His kingdom. It is never too late to discover that passion. Because when  we do what God wants us to do, truly amazing things can happen.

We simply need to start moving. God will do His part to increase your passion, but He also expects you to do your part. William Wilberforce knew his passion. He resisted it, but this passion held him captive as he became completely captivated by Jesus. He met God and wanted nothing more than to begin working in the ministry which he was convinced was the best way to serve God. But the passion that kept him up at night was the unacceptable injustice of the slave trade in England and he worked tirelessly to abolish it.

So what is your passion?

Discussion Questions:

1. How do you determine what you are most passionate about? 
2. What can we do this week to put that passion into action?