Everyone has asked me to write more on my blog. I decided to write more about a subject that is dear to my heart: Passion.
You might ask why passion is important to me, that is a good question. I am glad that you asked! When you have a debilitating disease the only thing that keeps you going is an internal fire. That fire is stoked by passion. If you don't have it your fire dies, and in a small way so do you.
The problem with passion is that we have to purposefully keep the fire alive while the world is trying to steal it away. There is an old saying, "Forearmed is forewarned." Therefore my next seven blogs will prepare you for the enemy who is trying to quench the flames.
You might ask why passion is important to me, that is a good question. I am glad that you asked! When you have a debilitating disease the only thing that keeps you going is an internal fire. That fire is stoked by passion. If you don't have it your fire dies, and in a small way so do you.
The problem with passion is that we have to purposefully keep the fire alive while the world is trying to steal it away. There is an old saying, "Forearmed is forewarned." Therefore my next seven blogs will prepare you for the enemy who is trying to quench the flames.
Thief #1, an unbalanced schedule means if you’re either overworked or you are under worked you’re going to lose your passion for life and lose your passion for God. Life is a series of seasons. The Bible says, there’s a season for everything. And there’s a rhythm to life. You need both in your life -- both input and output. You need both rest and work. Too much of either will cause you to lose your passion. Too much work will cause you to lose your passion. Too much nothing -- boredom -- will cause you to lose your passion too, if you’re not working enough.
My guess is half of you need to work less and half of you probably need to work more. We’re all different in our personalities. You can go to either extreme. Psalm 127, "It’s senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing that you’re going to starve to death, for God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest." That’s a good verse for your refrigerator door. God wants you to get your proper rest.
My guess is half of you need to work less and half of you probably need to work more. We’re all different in our personalities. You can go to either extreme. Psalm 127, "It’s senseless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, fearing that you’re going to starve to death, for God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest." That’s a good verse for your refrigerator door. God wants you to get your proper rest.
For some of you the problem is you’re always giving out. You’re always helping, you’re always sharing, you’re always serving, you’re always working, you’re always being generous. And you never take time to recharge. If you never take time to recharge you’re unbalanced on the ministry side, on the work side, you’re going to eventually get compassion fatigue.
What is compassion fatigue? You just stop caring. You don’t care about God any more, you don’t care about other people any more, you don’t care about anything any more. Why? Because you’re burning out from too much work, from too much service. When you care and care and care, eventually you get this compassion fatigue.
Others are the exact opposite. You’re always taking in but never giving out. You go to Bible studies, you listen to teachers on the radio, you listen to tapes, you go to seminars, you go to Christian concerts, you go to workshops, you come to church all the time. You’re always learning, always taking in, always growing in the input. But you’re not giving out any. You don’t have any ministry, you don’t have any mission. You’re not really helping anybody. You’re just taking all this food in getting fatter and fatter and fatter till pretty soon we’re going to have to roll you down the aisle. And that’s where we get the term holy rollers. Some of you are holy rollers. You’re taking in all the time and you’re never giving out.
What is compassion fatigue? You just stop caring. You don’t care about God any more, you don’t care about other people any more, you don’t care about anything any more. Why? Because you’re burning out from too much work, from too much service. When you care and care and care, eventually you get this compassion fatigue.
Others are the exact opposite. You’re always taking in but never giving out. You go to Bible studies, you listen to teachers on the radio, you listen to tapes, you go to seminars, you go to Christian concerts, you go to workshops, you come to church all the time. You’re always learning, always taking in, always growing in the input. But you’re not giving out any. You don’t have any ministry, you don’t have any mission. You’re not really helping anybody. You’re just taking all this food in getting fatter and fatter and fatter till pretty soon we’re going to have to roll you down the aisle. And that’s where we get the term holy rollers. Some of you are holy rollers. You’re taking in all the time and you’re never giving out.
You either have too much output and not enough input. Or you’ve got too much input and not enough output. You’ve got to decide that. I’m sure God can help you out.
Let me give you a little shock though. Bible study without ministry is extremely dangerous. Because the Bible says in James 2:17 "To him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not it is sin." Do you realize that the more you know about God’s plan for your life the more responsible you are to God for that knowledge. And the more you know, if you don’t do anything about it, you are simply increasing your judgment. You’re increasing your responsibility. Because God holds you accountable for what you know. So the Bible tells that you need both in your life -- input and output. You need work and you need rest. You need balance in your schedule or you will become a constipated Christian!
What’s the antidote for that? 1 Timothy 4:7 "Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit."
Let me give you a little shock though. Bible study without ministry is extremely dangerous. Because the Bible says in James 2:17 "To him who knoweth to do good and doeth it not it is sin." Do you realize that the more you know about God’s plan for your life the more responsible you are to God for that knowledge. And the more you know, if you don’t do anything about it, you are simply increasing your judgment. You’re increasing your responsibility. Because God holds you accountable for what you know. So the Bible tells that you need both in your life -- input and output. You need work and you need rest. You need balance in your schedule or you will become a constipated Christian!
What’s the antidote for that? 1 Timothy 4:7 "Take the time and trouble to keep yourself spiritually fit."
How do you do that? One word. Balance. We all know to be physically fit you have to have a balanced diet. And to be spiritually fit you have to have a balance of God’s five purposes for your life in your life. You need to have time to worship with God private and corporate. You need to have times when you’re fellowshipping with other believers. You need to have times when you’re reading God’s word and growing as a Christian. You need to have times of ministry -- service -- where you’re giving out and using your abilities. You need times of mission where you’re sharing your faith with others.
If you tend to go to seed on one of those purposes -- you have a lot of fellowship but nothing else. Or a lot of Bible study and nothing else. You’re going to get imbalanced. And you will inevitably lose your passion. You’re going to go, "How come I don’t feel as close to God as I used to be?" Because you’re out of balance. That’s the number one reason.
If you tend to go to seed on one of those purposes -- you have a lot of fellowship but nothing else. Or a lot of Bible study and nothing else. You’re going to get imbalanced. And you will inevitably lose your passion. You’re going to go, "How come I don’t feel as close to God as I used to be?" Because you’re out of balance. That’s the number one reason.
Bringing it home, we always need to keep our focus on the reason we are here. Although some people might think it is for our entertainment or even a perfect health, it is not. We are here to perfect God's mission for us. For me it is obviously through ALS. Not the route I would have chosen; however, I have to trust the master. He knows what He is doing. He does all things good for His people.
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us. Ephesians 3:20
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