Here is the third and final part of my thoughts about fulfilling your passion in Christ. I hope you enjoy it.
Part III: Stepping into Your Passion
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13
Once your passion has been clarified, there is only one thing left to do. Put on your “big boy pants” and step into your passion full steam ahead. Now doing this includes thought and planning. You can move forward with your passion or ministry with only an idea and not a plan and still be successful, but that would be the exception, not the rule. Put your passion down on paper and then figure out an outlet for that passion. Then start to write down what it will take for this idea to be put into action. At first, the steps seem ever growing and impossible, but remember that through Christ all things are possible.
Once a plan is laid out, then it is time to get your supplies and help lined up. Having faithful and trustworthy volunteers is one of the greatest blessings a ministry can have. If you continue to keep Christ the center of your passion, you will be greatly blessed in this area. Also, if people realize you are doing this for the sake of Christ and not your own gain, the financial backing and supplies will always be there when needed.
No one really likes to talk about finances when it comes to ministry or “Christian” dealings. Whether it is tithing, outreaches, or events. Asking for monetary help has become a dirty topic in churches due to past abuse by Christians. However, as I have previously stated, if you keep Christ the center of your passion, you will be blessed in every aspect as you move forward and people will be happy to support your passion.
Once everything is in place, it is time to BOLDLY step out and start your passion. If you step out in Christ and keep him the reason you are doing your passion, you will be successful and you will find it easy to be bold and make decisions you once thought were tough to make. I have learned that if I am doing something for my passion and I have Christ in mind, people don’t seem to mind if you ask them to do something. I used to hate to ask people to volunteer, because I didn’t want to put them out or want them to say no. I always felt like I was asking them to pull out their teeth with pliers. Now that I have focused my passion to what God is leading me to do, I look at these people differently when I ask. Instead of expecting them to say no, I expect them to be as excited as me and say yes.
You must also own your passion. Not just be a part of it, OWN it. It is your God-given passion, the direction for your life, and a life changing encounter for others. If you own your passion, peoples lives will be changed. If you just manage it or work part of it, you may change some lives, but you may also miss the opportunity to affect others that might have crossed your path had you owned it.
2 Corinthians 1:21-22 (NIV) is a great example of how we should impersonate God with our ownership of passions: “Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” If we follow God’s example and put our seal of ownership on our passions, we will be anointed and we will be blessed with his Spirit.
I am personally in the middle of part 2 and 3 in my life. I know what my passion is, but the specifics are still coming into focus. I must continually examine where I am in this process and fight the urge to throw my hands up and give up. Going through this stage of life is a stretching experience, and though it may be extremely hard, you can make it through successfully with God's help.
I hope these last three post's help someone in their journey to fulfill a passion that is in your hear. Some of my thoughts may be jumbled, but that's what happens sometimes when God gives you these thoughts in the middle of the night.
Thanks for stopping by, and God Bless!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment