Devotional: Passionate about ……… by Keona J Tann

“What are you passionate about?” was the challenge my friend Veronica issued to me. So many ideas and thoughts tumbled around my head that I started to get overwhelmed with my list.
I felt I couldn’t possibly share all of the ideas without people thinking I was either crazy or super prideful.
But I don’t believe I’m either of those things and I desperately hope I never am.
I believe God has planted many seeds BUT I need wisdom and patience to know how to nurture those seeds, so they burst forth at just the right time. Some may take decades or years but hopefully some of them months. As I grasped hold of that I realised that I could clearly define what I’m passionate about.

What is passion?

Cambridge Dictionary defines it as ‘having very strong feelings or emotions’. Thesaurus.com states that Ardent is a synonym of passion, which Dictionary.com defines as: ‘intense feeling; passionate; fervent; intensely devoted, eager, or enthusiastic’.
As I tried to discover what I’m MOST passionate about I realised that I’m passionate about words because words have sustained me throughout my life.

Words began to impact me at a young age because I have such fond childhood memories of being snuggled on my mum’s lap as she read to me, the time she invested in me sparked a great love for books and it sparked my passion for words.

Then words truly helped me in the most desperate of times. When I was constantly bullied in High School Amy Grant’s songs sustained me.

When health issues began, my love of reading enabled me to endure the long difficult days in bed because I would ‘escape’ into the stories.

Then it was comforting and encouraging words from others as well as personal prayers that sustained me through the huge adjustment of motherhood.

Turning 40 I faced my toughest health battle when I was virtually bedridden, and I struggled to find a reason to keep living. After a 28-month battle God whispered words of healing into my life which set me upon a path of restoration.

Words sustained me; changed me; healed me; are now restoring and transforming me.

Words have given me a purpose and a hope for the future because I desire to use my words to inspire others and in particular I long for you to discover and chase after your dreams with passion!
That leads me to asking you some questions:

What are you passionate about?

Deeply reflect upon your life and find a passion that has been slowly burning away since a young age. Maybe it has been suppressed because of doubt or fear or health issues or many other factors but it is something that keeps calling to you. Now please hear me here I’m not saying you have to quit your secular job and sign up for Bible College, although if God has told you to do that most certainly do! What I am asking you to do is use your gifts/skills/talents in whatever capacity God leads you to serve Him best. For example my husband is in the funeral industry and it is most definitely his calling because he has a heart of compassion and understands the need for people to be given the opportunity to honour their loved ones.‬
John Bevere explains it like this: “When people think of those with a great call of God on their life, they often envision pastors, missionaries, worship leaders, speakers, evangelists, and so on. But the truth is, God calls people to influence every sphere of society. You may not be called to full-time vocational ministry—a majority of Christians probably aren’t. But you are called to represent Jesus full-time in the arena He calls you to—whether that’s government, education, the arts, the marketplace, or beyond. Seek God earnestly, find where He has called you, and then influence it for His kingdom.”

What’s the one thing?

But sometimes the ideas and things we are passionate about can be overwhelming, the list is so extensive that we don’t know where to start. It helps to ask yourself this question: ‘If I could achieve just one thing in the next 12 months what would it be?’. Then put a note up somewhere visible and each day look at ways that you can achieve it.

Who are you serving?

“The secret of the Christian’s passion is simple: Everything we do in life we do it as to the Lord and not to men.” David Jeremiah

[bctt tweet=”There is a call for us to put our heart and soul into every activity set before us, we’re urge to complete each and every assignment knowing that it is for the Lord that we are working and not just for those around us (Colossians‬ ‭3:23).” username=”acwriters”] We can find a passion to serve Christ in the most mundane of tasks because Kingdom work will last. Knowing this helps us to focus because building our own kingdom is futile work.‬

“I believe God sees work as any purposeful activity requiring focus and effort. That means it could be housework, schoolwork, caring for children or parents, study, paid work, voluntary work, etc.” Kara Martin, from her book Workship: How To Use Your Work To Worship God.

We need a Helper

The passionate dreams that are implanted within our lives can be hard to achieve and we need all the help we can get. There are two more definitions for passion, Dictionary.com states:
a. the sufferings of Christ on the cross or His sufferings subsequent to the Last Supper.
b. the narrative of Christ’s sufferings as recorded in the Gospels.
I don’t know of a greater example of passion that that.

Jesus was so passionate about revealing the love of God to us that He humbly came and dwelt among us. Jesus was so passionate about getting us reconciled back to God that He gave His own life up for us.

God was so passionate about spending eternity with us that He rose Jesus from the dead so that we could have eternal life. Jesus was so passionate about all of humanity joining Him that He urged His believers to go out into the world and tell everyone!

Jesus is so passionate about Kingdom work that we can ask for Him to assist us in living out the passions He has placed within us. In John 14:16 Jesus promises that God will send to us a Helper which is the Holy Spirit. That means that:

• we can find assistance with the struggles we face;
• we can find comfort in our moments of hurt, grief and pain;
• we can receive advice and strategies to move forward;
• when we cannot form the words to pray the Holy Spirit will help us;
• God loves to listen to our hearts but also longs to counsel and correct us;
• we can be given practical insight into the problems we face and be given the ability to make wise decisions;
• when we are weak the Strengthener will release His mighty power to energise and invigorate us;
• we can discover all the endurance we need to keep going;
• the Holy Spirit is ready and willing to assist us.
• The Holy Spirit is the greatest and most reliable of resources for us in this journey of life.

I urge you to go forth with passion and excitement.
Many blessings, Keona