Passion and happiness don't fit together as perfectly as we want it to. Passion is what keeps us up at night. Passion is what breaks our hearts. Passion is the love for something that has been given to us by no one else but God.
In the past few years, I have realized that God has given me a tremendous passion for working with kids, and ever since I discovered that passion, I have seen my work ethic, my relationships, and so much more in my life grow tremendously.
This drastic change in my life that God has given me by way of passion, has ended up giving me a passion for passion (still figuring out how that works) and after examining the passion in my life and in the lives of others, I've noticed that passion generally invites two things into our lives:
1. Passion invites incredible pain.
I'm not talking about physical pain, unless of course you're passionate about kickboxing or jousting or awesome things like that.
Passion causes you to truly care for something and for the people you encounter along the way, and that invites potential for heartbreak. I guarantee that chasing after your passions will involve let-downs and failures, both on your part or the parts of others, and that's why I, and so many others, have been so afraid of passion. Passion shows you care about something, and that gives you something to lose.
God knows about this more than anyone. He is passionate about His creation, mankind, and the Bible records numerous occasions where He has experienced pain and heartbreak because of the way we have turned our back on God.
As I mentioned, I have a huge passion for working with kids, and that has definitely brought pain in my life. I have seen kids go through horrible situations that I can't help, and I have seen them create horrible situations for themselves. It breaks my heart, and I know so many others who say the same.
However, passion also invites something else:
2. Passion invites indescribable joy.
Yes, passion brings pain, but the joy you experience when chasing a passion is incomparable to anything an dispassionate person could ever experience.
Passion is what brings me to stay up thinking about ways to be better and how to show the love of Christ to the people I'm with. Here's a quick story to illustrate that:
When I was working camp this past summer, I became close with one of the campers, and one day I saw him crying. I found out that he was very homesick and really missed his dad. So, I asked him what he and his dad would do for fun, and he said they always played cards together. After he told me that, I went searching for cards and eventually found some and that night we spent about an hour and a half playing cards, and the way he smiled and laughed brought me so much joy.
The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love." 1 John 4:8
I tell that story not to try and convince people that I'm thoughtful or whatever, but to show that Godly passion allows me to do that even though the root of my being is selfish. God is love, and love is at the root of passion. Passion isn't about us, but passion is an invitation for God to work through us to show His love.
That's why he gives us different passions. Passion allows for everyone to be ministered to by people who truly care for and understand them. Please, search for your passion and embrace it.
It won't always invite happiness, but it will invite the love of Christ to you and those around you.
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