What's Your Passion?
What exactly is “passion”, and why is it so important in determining where I should be serving the Lord?
Well, Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines “passion” as: 1) an intense feeling, 2) ardent affection or love, 3) a strong liking for or devotion to some activity, object, or concept, and 4) an object of great desire or deep interest. It includes things like fervor, enthusiasm, and zeal—and reflects an intense emotion that is deeply stirring, and compels action.
For us as believers in Christ, passion is best explained as being a God-given motivation of the heart that compels us to get involved in some aspect of God’s kingdom work here on earth.
To understand this, consider two very well-known people of the Christian faith, and see if you can identify their “passion”: Rev. Billy Graham, and Mother Teresa.
Well, for Rev. Graham, there is no doubt that he has displayed a passion for reaching lost people. And Mother Teresa, a passion for the poor and needy.
With all this in mind, then, assessing your particular passion will require you to identify:
- Those specific groups within the church or local community to which you are drawn. EXAMPLES: Young children, the homeless, married couples, those with chemical addictions, children of single parents, the lost, blended families, early teens, people hospitalized, etc.
- Those specific ministries or serving areas in the church or local community that excite and interest you the most when you see it or hear about it. EXAMPLES: Discipling children, visiting the sick, helping newcomers feel welcome, encouraging and praying for the hurting, leading others to grow in their faith, organizing special events, counseling youth, helping the needy with home repair projects, overseas missions trips, setting up A/V equipment, etc.
Passion gives the individual direction in ministry more than any other factor, as it helps to answer the “where” question—i.e., where specifically in the church or local community should I serve? It provides the person with the motivation and energy to serve and make a difference in a particular area of ministry, and helps to fulfill that special desire of their heart.
Take the assessment below and see if you can discover YOUR “passion”
