Over the past couple of days I have been faced with a topic that is simple to understand but not very easy to understand. In a conversation recently a buddy of mine was inquiring about it. People look at it as a gift and a curse. People pursue them, let them die, and even become engulfed by them. It gets you where you want to be, and sometimes gets you where you never thought you could. The conversation is pivoted around passion.
Passion is defined as a strong and barely controllable emotion. What a unique and accurate definition of passion. Passion is the thing that grips you. It’s what keeps you up at night and what drives you to wake in the morning. It is one of the most rare gifts you can have I think, especially in view of the kingdom of God. I have a professor at Seminary who is extremely intelligent. He writes books that we all pick up and read. Even he would disclose that he lacks emotion. As a matter of fact, if you met him, you would wonder if there was emotion that passed through him at all. But he lives, breathes and bleeds apologetics. He has focused his passion.
More important than the gift of passion or the level of passion we have, I think, is how we utilize such passion. How do we take this “strong and barely controllable emotion” and harness that? If it is able to be harnessed, is it a passion? My simple, but not easy answer; you do not try to.
Peter was an extremely passionate follower of Christ. His passion often led him to put his foot in his mouth, and there was that whole cutting off a dudes’ ear incident. His passion got him into trouble, but he probably could not control it. I think focussing on the negative is unnecessary. In a previous blog entitled “Peter and the Tight Rope” I discuss about how Peter walked on water. This same passion that allowed Peter the unfortunate privilege of shoving his foot in his mouth or cutting off a dudes’ ear was the same passion that allowed him to be the only disciple to ever walk on water with Jesus (a memory that would not be forgotten no doubt).
Passion is a great and wonderful thing. The comment I had to my friends whom I was discussing this topic with was this: It is not the passion I am concerned about, because I think that is great; how are we utilizing our passion? What are we doing to ensure our passion gets us to the point where we are metaphorically walking on water? Elijah had passion, but the Bible says “Elijah was a man, just like us”.
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Food for thought: What would it look like if your skills, gifts and talents were aligned with your passion? Someone once told me that and I listened. Where that alignment exists, is where you will find your heart beating for something great. I pray this for all of you.
leadershape 