When I was 8 years old, I
was convinced babies were created when people kissed.  I had vowed to never let my lips touch a
girl.  That vow lasted about 4 years
until puberty kicked in and I kissed a girl on the cheek in the 6^th
grade.

It is interesting what
kind of revelation comes as we mature. 
When our natural passions first arise they must be discipled by self-control
before they are able to possess a practical wisdom. Passion can be present in
any life-experience, not just the sexual component. Passion without the
discipleship of wisdom becomes directionless and dangerous.  Passion without wisdom only seeks to fulfill
its need without considering the consequence of its actions.

It wasn’t long after
puberty kicked in that I arrived in Junior High School.  It was there I first heard the distant rumors
of kids only a couple of years older than me getting pregnant.  I remember the strangeness and unfamiliarity
of those years. They were wonderful and scary all rolled up together.  Most of us did not have the level of wisdom
required to help us to make wise decisions or even understand a real life
consequence of our actions.

If you have a passion for
anything – life, sports, intimacy, success, politics, knitting or whatever – ask
yourself, “Has my passion been discipled?” If the answer is, “No”, and you find
a passion living in your life that is unrestrained and borderless, invite the
Spirit to come with the fruit of self-control and help you direct that passion
toward it’s God-intended purpose.

When I married Jan in 1973,
I found the beauty of an intimacy and passion that can only be discovered when
discipled by the Spirit of wisdom, not by need. Now, 42 years later, I can’t
wait to kiss Jan each day because I have discovered the depths of a love that
can only be found in a discipled passion.