18 Inches

 Billy Grahams daughter Annie Graham wrote a book called "Expecting to see Jesus." In her book she speaks about Tom Landry who became the first coach of the Dallas Cowboys football team. His career lasted 29 seasons from 1960 - 1988. Coach Landry said in his career he came across many good athletes but few great ones. The difference He said between a good athlete and a great one was only about 18 inches. The distance from the head to the heart. Coach Landry said a good athlete knows the game thoroughly and has a phenomenal physical ability but a great athlete loves the game. He is passionate about the game. He is different because he is willing to invest his entire heart and all his effort into what he loves. The player who is willing to put in the long hours of practice and the necessary conditioning even in the off season because it's what he loves and he wants it more than everyone else.

 The Apostle Paul taught us about this kind of passion in Romans 12 instructing us not to be conformed to the ways of the world's influence around us chasing the desires of the life we came from. He says instead live passionately chasing after everything God has to offer us. Abundance is found in loving the things of God more than loving the things from the world we live in.        
 There is a shift that takes place, let's call it a transformation that takes place in the human heart. We get saved and become a new creation but then it becomes the work of the Holy Spirit as he partners with us together to continue the on going change that leads us past the cross. Into the deeper things that God has called us to.

 The same 18 inches that makes a great football player also makes committed men of God. Romans 12:1-2 teaches about that 18 inch transformation from our head to our heart, it can take a lifetime to reach such a short distance if we continue to resist the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. 

Passionate love for God is what makes the difference when we don't feel like life in Christ is worth the effort. Living past the cross, it moves us from just allowing God to become a part of our lives to being consumed with everything about Him. We begin to embrace the fellowship of his suffering instead of running from the choice to deny our lusts and picking up our cross and following after Him. We will never know what depths of his love or the adventure of walking in the Spirit we can experience until the 18 inch transfer takes place and we begin to live with unbridled passion for the King of the Universe.             
 Most Christians never learn the difference between knowing about God and knowing God through the experience that comes through connecting daily about with him in our every day lives. 
 We will never be more saved, never have more of the Holy Spirit or become more righteous in the sight of God. God will never love us more or less because the sacrifice of his most precious son completed everything for us. We are fully forgiven, fully justified and made completely righteous by the blood Jesus shed on the cross for us. 2 Corinthians 21:5 tells us we are actually the righteousness of God! We are transformed in mind resulting in our actions when we allow the Holy Spirit to move God's word 18 inches from our thoughts to our hearts.

 Experience the fullness of life in Christ, lets live with the same passion for him that he has for us.