And so, we open the door. When we do, the air rushes at us filled with voices of influence, the noble and the horrible all mixed together. We hear the cries of the broken and the taunts of the hateful. There are needy, brave, beautiful, hurting people everywhere we look. We are those people, too. So where do we even begin?
I like to begin with a question: What is the most important thing? Is it educating children? Discipling new believers? Caring for homeless friends? Encouraging young moms? Taking photographs that mean something? Telling stories? Everyone will have a different answer to this question. In my early college days, that bothered me. If what is most important to me isn’t most important to you, then what does that mean about my important things?!
What it means is that I’m passionate about those things and you aren’t. That is all it means. It doesn’t mean I have to convince you that my stuff is important. It means I have a responsibility to act on those things that make me come alive.
We’ve all probably been around passionate people who try to convince us to become passionate about their thing. Maybe we’ve even felt guilty because we don’t feel the same excitement and motivation for a thing the way they do. Maybe we’ve even believed that because they are so convinced of a thing then we ought to feel the same way. We can allow ourselves to be influenced, motivated, and moved by them. We can open our hands and take the gifts they have to offer.
But we do not have to copy them. And we do not have to be them.
This doesn’t mean that someone passionate about education won’t also deliver a meal to a new mom. You might be the president of the PTA and also have a passion for telling authentic, life-changing story. But you probably won’t lead the committee and head up the fundraising and come up with a budget for all of those things. We cannot do all things well. Why do we insist on trying?
Do we trust the Sprit within us to lead us in our paths of influence the way he made us and not the way he made someone else? What is it that makes you come alive? How have you been uniquely created to influence the world you live in? What is your most important thing?
This is day 10 in a series. Read 31 Days to Change the World from the beginning. Go here to see all of the other 31 Day series happening around the internets. Want to have Chatting at the Sky delivered into your email inbox? Subscribe here for free.
Oh I have been guilty of trying to take on others passions only to realize that other’s passions fail to set my heart on fire. But mine? My passion for the heart of females- their fears, their triumphs, and their brokeness- can send me to the moon with elation! Great reminder, Emily!
Emily, thanks for writing this post. I actually teared up when I read this. It was exactly what I needed to hear today so thank you!
Bindu
Oh I am sooooooooooo bad at this!! thanks for sharing…I need to up my prayers for grace to follow my own passions and not compare myself to what others are doing.
AMEN, sister! Amen!
this maybe might be my favorite thing you’ve ever written. and i love that it can be that and not make anyone else think it should be their favorite too.
I do believe that most people have talents they don’t even realize they have. That many of us don’t ever utilize our full potential. Even if we do realize we have something real inside us that could one day become something tangible, self-doubt and complacency keep us from looking “inward” more and bringing whatever it is “out”. Even if we develop a talent for our own self-satisfaction and fulfillment, it’s so important that we just do it. Another great post in a great series, Emily, thank you.
What a wonderful post today! You have such an eloquent way of saying what’s on my heart! I admit that at times I have been guilty of wishing, pleading, even begging others to be as passionate about some things as I am. But in the end, I am so thankful that God has given each of us our own set of passion-projects! It’s what this world needs. People doing what others won’t or can’t do. My passion is anything behind the scenes! I LOVE doing all the little jobs that others find mundane, boring or unattractive. I’m a worker bee, and that’s good for me!
I just don’t know – I don’t like questions about myself (or others) where I try to figure things like this out. I’m in the middle of the long days/short years of small children. And most of the time I feel like I just don’t have the energy to bother seeing what else I’m supposed to be doing …
I’ve struggled with this over the years and am finally starting to come out on the other side!! Praise God!!! But there’s still one question that remains unanswered. What if more than one thing stirs passion inside of you? I serve as a mentor of a MOPS group, love it – I have such a heart for young mothers, having been one myself 5 times over
I have a heart for teens, for marriages, etc. I can’t serve everywhere, but wish that I could!! I’m trying to trust Jesus to guide my steps in one direction at a time <3 Thanks for sharing this Emily!!
I can relate to Abbie above. I’m right there with you girl. I think that’s why my passion has been taking pictures and writing. Both of which can happen in the confines of home with kids. : ) Emily, you’ve empowered me to remember that although it may be “just” writing on my blog or “just” snapping pictures here and there, it is worthwhile and meaningful. Thank you for that.
I would have to agree that sometimes I do think as you did,
“In my early college days, that bothered me. If what is most important to me isn’t most important to you, then what does that mean about my important things?!
When others are more passionate about a particular topic, it makes me question what drives me or why that particular thing doesn’t drive me as well. You bring up a great point -we have been gifted different gifts and talents. That’s how we can all work and act together as a *body* of Christ (speaking of believers specifically). It’s up to me to stick to/develop/serve in the area of my passion so that I can be a strong “body part” and can be relied on when needed.
I have experienced so much guilt from this…from hearing other people talk about their passions, their worthy, holy, God-serving passions & knowing in my heart I did not have the burning desire or the ability to do what they did. If it sounded good and I wasn’t doing it, I felt less than. Thank you for reminding me there is a reason my passions are not their passions and theirs are not mine!
It gets easier as you get older. Stuff just falls away. There’s just a few things I feel strong about now. Scary part though, is once you know it’s just a few, you got to do something.
I needed to hear this. In a bad way. Thank you for giving me permission to have my own important things. I was no good at making their ‘things’ mine. Yay freedom!!!
A question Emily-and forgive me if you have already answered it somewhere. (I did read, and love, every word of your book but who knows I may have missed what you were trying to say). Anyway, the question(s):
How/ when/ why did you start to write about this sort of thing – being an artist, allowing yourself to have creative freedom? Did you spend years not like it and have some kind of encounter with God or moment of realisation or was it some other way? Hope you don’t mind me asking but would be so interested to see the context as it’s very powerful writing. XXX
This is so hard sometimes. I always feel like I have to put my passion for inspiring creativity in children into proper context, so that it doesn’t seem trivial or that I’m making it more important than imparting the gospel to them. That’s why I’ve so appreciated your writing on art in the context of grace.
Very thoughtful post. Sometimes I feel like it’s the opposite for me… when I see so many women taking photos and blogging, I feel like a blank face in the sea.
Love this! I recently spoke at our MOPS group (Mothers of Preschoolers) about something very similar and I’ve included it this week in my 31 day challenge … adding to the beauty around us by pursuing our passion. So … thanks for you encouragement here!!
Between this and your book, your words have been cutting straight to my heart these days. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Aaaaand… this is where I get stuck. Pinpointing my passion.
Gracious. You just took years of my own mental turmoil and encapsulated it perfectly into one post. How did you do that? I was trying to write something sort of like this last week and it never came together so I scrapped it. I’m so glad I did. I hadn’t made sense of it well enough in my own mind the way you have here.
As for my “thing,” well, I have several things. And I sometimes feel conflicted about that.
Loooooove this post!!! The most important thing to me is sharing the healing Jesus Christ has for everyone, especially my sisters in Christ
I heard a story once that I thought was really cool and illustrates your point that sometimes someone’s passion makes you think you should do what they do…
I knew a really neat lady named Stephainie who heard Mary Kay give a talk and was so inspired that she started selling Mary Kay products herself…until she realized that what inspired her about Mary Kay was not her ability to sell makeup, but her ability to encourage women. She stopped selling and started training for ministry to women. (It sounded better when Stephanie told the story.)
Ken Robinson has written a whole book called “The Element” on trying to reach that point where your passion and your talents intersect. Check it out — it has lots of inspiring stories. It’s from this book that my husband and I have picked up the idea of trying to get better at the things you’re good at instead of trying to get good at the things you’re bad at.
The catch is I, like Abbie above, am surrounded by little children. Sometimes it’s a challenge just to keep them well fed and wearing clean clothes (never mind socks that match)! I truly believe my path to changing the world is training these children to see the world…and themselves…through God’s eyes. Yet sometimes I’m frustrated at my days being filled with tasks I’m not good at while not having time for things I am good at! I’d love to write; I’d love to sew; I’d love to study Hebrew. But I don’t. And no matter how hard and long I work, the laundry is never DONE!
(This comment, by the way, is my creative output for the week.)
Hugs to all who can relate and all who want to for compassion’s sake!
Yes – that is where I am too – i have 4 kids under 7 and pour into them. I know this time will seem short in the long run, but right now it feels stifling to a certain extent. So hugs back! It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what her passion is (besides her kids, but I don’t feel like I was born with that, more like I am relying on God to give me that passion). It can make me feel a little lost, like I don’t know who I am anymore, becuase I don’t have time to figure it out.
God bless and encourage you today
Emily, I love this post. . . and boys howdy, how I need it! It’s kind of amazing to me how “passion” has become such a buzzword in our society. I love your gentle reminder that my passion doesn’t have to be the same as everyone else’s passions–and I don’t have to convince other people to take on my passion(s).
You are past master at taking just a few words and crafting them into a beautiful thought that can hardly be contained in words, even if there were a lot of them.
Love you.
Good words. At 49, I have struggled for years to find out what I am meant to be/do only to realize a few years ago that only my passions can be my passions. I have a friend who is an amazing interior designer. That is not me. I have another friend who owns her own business that is going gangbusters, but that is not me either. I think I liked the idea that they have had successful businesses as well as being pretty great moms. What I did realize is that I am a great administrator. Not exciting to most people but I like to organize, keep schedules and pay bills. I know…that’s strange but it’s who I am. I think realizing what your talents may not be as fun or exciting as someone else’s, they are yours and we all need each other. I need super creative people to make my world more fun. Super creative people need my talents to keep them living in a world that requires some sense of order. It will be quite a fun journey!
So encouraging as usual. I do try to copy others and try to make people as passionate about what I’m passionate about. I’ve been learning like you just wrote, we don’t all have to have the same passions. Thanks again for the encouraging words.
Your post spoke passionate truth. Love it! Thank you.