Passion: An intense desire or enthusiasm for something

For too long now I’ve been missing something in my life… I haven’t been able to place a finger on exactly what has been missing. I’ve gone through the day to day motions – living as a machine, carrying out the motions, doing what is necessary to get the job done. Something was out of place, I just couldn’t place what that something was.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago as I was leaving a friends house – she had the word ‘Passion’ printed on her bulletin board. For some reason that word resonated with me.

Passion, as defined in English, has many meanings. It’s most commonly defined as “a strong and barely controllable emotion”. You can be passionate about collecting Hummel figurines or the music of The Beatles, you can share a passionate embrace with your spouse.

I believe my work should be my passion. I am blessed to work in the greatest institution ever created: the local church. Is the church, any church, perfect? Absolutely, positively not. To call any earthly institution – even one as great as the local church – perfect is an insult to the only perfection that this earth has ever seen: Jesus Christ. The church was begun by Christ but they are ran by man so they have the flaws held by everything man is involved in.

The local church is akin to a lobby: No one’s ultimate goal is to end up in the lobby… They enter the lobby to reach their ultimate destination. To find out how to get to there, to catch the elevator. The lobby is simply a passage to their final destination. The church is just another lobby – it exists to provide direction to people seeking the throne room of Christ – even if they’re not sure where or what, exactly, they’re looking for.

Why should I be passionate about my career? Because of the passion of Jesus. The word passion originates from the french (via latin) word “passio” – literally “suffering”. My passion should derive from the very same thing the word is derived from: the suffering of Christ that we might not receive our deserved reward: death and an eternity separated from God. Instead, because Christ was willing to suffer in our place we receive the reward reserved for Him: an eternity worshiping Father God in Heaven.

I should be passionate about introducing people to Christ, teaching them about Him and His passion. Planting the seeds that will be watered by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps seeing someone accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. I should be passionate because He is passion.

In a blog recently Scott Bourne (a photographer) challenged new photographers to stop waiting for that lens. To get out there and shoot with what you have – good photographs don’t come from the camera, they come from the eye and brain controlling that camera. I must confess I’ve been looking for that next lens. I’ve been lax and saying ‘maybe when I get X or Y’. I’ve already got the tools. I’ve got my experiences, the skills He has blessed me with. I’ve got the Passion of Jesus and the story of how His passion has affected me. Out of His passion should flow mine.