God-given Passion
By: Devonne Mulpas
From the time we enter kindergarten and all the way through high school, we are constantly asked one main question: What do you want to be when you grow up? Some of us know from the time we are five what exactly floats our boat, while the rest of us struggle with that question all the way through high school, college, and even adulthood. Some of us never seem to find the answer, while others stride on with confidence and seem to know exactly where they are headed. No matter which person you are, one thing is certain. Pressure. Pressure to decide, pressure to succeed, and even pressure to be something you were never meant to be. Each one of us wants to find our niche, to fit in and do well. But most of all we want to feel passionate about what we do, to know it makes a difference, and know that we are the right person for the job.
I want to turn the tables just a bit and ask the same question in a different way. How can you honor God with your passions? Weird question? I don't think so. I believe the two to be related. Have you ever wondered why you like to do the things you like to do? What makes you well, you? Why is it that you love to ride, play the guitar, sing or play sports? Have you ever wondered why you dream the dreams you dream?
Psalm 139:13 states, For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. God knows you intimately. He created you to be exactly who you are. So, it stands to reason that that he puts certain passions and dreams in our live for a reason, right? The question is, what are you going to do with them?
Many of you may have seen the movie End of the Spear or read the book with the same title that was based on the true-life story of Nate Saint. He had a passion. No, not for horses, he had a passion for flying. He joined the Army to be a fighter pilot and they told him he couldn't fly due to a reoccurring infection in his leg. He didn't give up, however, and spent the rest of his Army career learning all he could about aircraft. After the Army, he joined Missionary Aviation Fellowship, and once again did what he loved to do most. Fly! And, this time, he found a way to honor God with it.
Don't get me wrong. You may never have an awesome job that brings out your passionate side, but you do have a choice. Are you going to put your passions on the back burner, ignore them, and/or keep them selfishly to yourself? Or are you going to honor God with them?
Like Nate, many of us find that our lives don't turn out the way we think they will. However, if we devote our time to honoring God with the passions He gave us, we may find they turn out more satisfying then we could have dreamed.
