Give in to Your Passion

                   

We live in a hustle and bustle society. We get up, we go to work, we come home, and do it all again. This doesn’t include all of the menial tasks in between in order to keep our household running like a well-oiled machine. Oft times, we forget that God has a greater purpose in all that we do. We just want him to bless the plans we have for ourselves.

I worked in dialysis for about 14 years. It was just a job. It was a job that I was extremely good at doing, but just a job. I was always very concerned about my patients and took care of them as if they were my own family members. However, I was extremely unfulfilled. I knew I had greater purpose, and I began to seek my calling.

The story of Saul is an extreme, yet relevant, example of following your calling. Saul was known for persecuting believers in Christ during the early days of Christianity. He would go in and out of houses, dragging out men and women, and he imprisoned them because they worshipped the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 8:3). One day, on the road to Damascus, a light from heaven flashed all around Saul. He then heard a voice that said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what to do.” (9:3-6). Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus (v.8). Saul encountered a man named Ananias who was directed by God to lay hands on Saul to give him sight. And he did. After being baptized, Saul, later renamed Paul, became one of the biggest crusaders for Christ.

I believe that quite often we walk around with scales on our eyes. We are so consumed with the things of this world that we forget that God wants to use us for His glory. We have children, get married, and do all of the other things that we want, but we sometimes have a passion for other things. Things like mentoring, growing a garden, teaching Sunday school, etc. Saul chose to use his life for persecuting Christians, but God wanted to use him for his glory. 

Our passions and desires have been planted within us by God! It is by no mistake that you enjoy working with children. Circumstances sometimes have it where you have to get the first job that comes along to make ends meet, and that is okay. But don’t let go of your deepest dreams. Find time to volunteer with a mentorship program, go to the school that your children attend on your off days, or even get a group of kids together on the weekend and do community clean-up with them. There are more opportunities to do the things you love than you can imagine!

And here’s the beautiful thing about our passions- they are most likely your gift! The Bible says that your gifts will make room for you (Proverbs 18:16). The New Living Translation of this scripture says that “giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people.” There are many of us who haven’t sought out our purpose simply because we are afraid: afraid of the unknown, afraid of closed doors, afraid of failure. But the Word tells us that when we give our gift, doors will open to us. You will soon find that the time and resources you need will be made available to you. You just have to take the first step.

Please understand, I am also telling myself these things as well. Something I have learned while following people like Oprah, Tyler Perry, and others that went from nothing to something is that we are all allotted the same amount of time- 24 hours a day-in poverty or in wealth. However, they have learned to use their time wisely. If we want to see our dreams manifest, we have to first, not doubt that the things we desire the most can come to fruition, then, use our time wisely in order to pursue these things. Once I paid attention to where I was putting my time, I began to utilize those moments for things that will assist in making my dreams possible (such as this blog).

You got this. Your deepest desires are possible. Have faith in God and yourself. Start taking time to do the things you love the most and watch and see how your gifts make room for you.

Peace.