Threads of Passions
There are passions God has put inside you that are unique to you. And I know you probably can't imagine it, but the thing that makes your heart come alive is how you bring others to Jesus. So, what makes you excited to get out of bed in the morning?
Your passion might be something you consider shallow or insignificant. We tend to over-spiritualize everything we do. We think our passion should only be sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with nations, but that may not be your passion. God might not be calling you to be a missionary. You might be called to give Jesus to a whole community of people who don’t know him.
Tim Keller talks a lot about this in his book, ‘Every Good Endeavor.’ We have created a work divide between secular and sacred work in the West. In fact, we’ve demonized secular things. In so doing, we miss the sacred in the secular. It's all of God. Whether your gifts are spiritual or natural, God has given them to you.
At the core of it, our callings are the same.
If you know Jesus, then THE call is to make disciples who make disciples.
The only difference among ourselves is the settings and places wherein we fulfill that calling. And that’ll get clear as you lay out your threads.
So, what are your passions?
Imagine the things that make your heart race. And it doesn’t have to be something very big. You might love volunteering at your kids’ school, crafting, knitting, or cooking. How could you use that passion for the glory of God? That's what I want you to think about today.
Making Jesus known should be part of everything we do. Your passion could help reach people ‘traditional’ ministry could never reach. You can create clubs and gatherings with your crafting, knitting, running, or volunteering community. It doesn't have to be complicated; you only need to figure out what you love and bring people into it.
Throughout the Gospels, God worked with what the disciples loved when He called them to follow Him. This is how He works. He uses everyday things to share the gospel with people. See, we think the most important thing is to get people to church. But that’s not it – the goal is to get people to Jesus.
Tell your friends about Jesus and His love for them.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t invite your friend to church, but it’s through your passions that you will bring people to Jesus. Your passions will lead you to unique stories and places that you can't imagine. You see this with Joseph and his gift. Even when he was in prison, he continued to interpret people's dreams. It's what he was good at and passionate about, and he did it.
One of the people whose dreams Joseph interpreted later came out of prison and told the king about it. And so, he was called into the king's throne room to use his passion and gift to help the king. That led to Joseph leading a movement that rescued nations around them and caused them to store food for years to prepare for a famine.
Joseph was merely doing what he was good at, and God used his gift to change the trajectory of nations. I know it could feel like you have nothing like dream interpretation in your back pocket, but that's where we go wrong. We forget that God can use anything we’re good at.
One thing we often miss as believers is the power of excellent work. You see the favor of people who have pursued and excelled at medicine, science, art, or music. It puts them in places of respect, favor, and success that they would have missed if they thought their gifts were worldly or secular.
God has gifted you and placed you exactly where you are. He has put you in places that allow you to have conversations about Him with people who may not be interested in God.
So, write down that childhood dream that doesn’t seem spiritual enough. Maybe there’s something in that.
My son’s dream was football, but a college injury cut his football career short. Now he’s coaching eighth-grade boys part-time. He’s loving on them, invests in their lives, and cares about them. He's taking that thing he loves and investing in the next generation with it. And I believe that even your passion could be your ministry.
The Spirit is going to lead you. The Spirit moves us, changes us, helps us know God, and helps us care about others if we surrender to Him. God can move through your passion. However, it will be with His Spirit. His Spirit will lead you. You will get nudges, ideas, and sparks you would have never thought of by yourself. That's the Spirit leading and moving you to care more about other people, to know God, and to give God away.
I want you to know that you are unbelievably seen by God.
He loves you.
He sees you.
He made you.
He set you in your place and gave you those passions.
He wants to move through those things you love to create incredible things.
You have a race that no one else can run. So, please run it.
Jennie’s book ‘Restless: Because You Were Made for More’ is available here and everywhere books are sold. You can also download the FREE PDF book club kit right here to help you put your threads together.
