Searching for a gold medal at home: evaluate your passions
Categories: Living our faith, Mission
Home.
There is no better word after a season of travel and a season of trials. Last night, David and I got to return HOME when we walked in the door of Christ Fellowship Church. It’s fashionable to ignore, deride or hide your church, but I love my home. I love Christ Fellowship and its heart for the kingdom. Last night my pastor, Tom Mullins, spoke a message that went straight to my heart. Within five minutes I remembered why I plan my trips so I can be home on a Saturday night. Here is what inspired me.
A Champion’s Legacy: Pursuing Gold
As champions of the faith we ae called to inspire, influence and impact others for eternity. — Coach Mullins
Our PASSION inspires others.
There it is…Pastor Tom’s first point refocused my thinking and clarified my attempts to walk through God’s kingdom. You see, it isn’t our talent that impresses other people, or our great looks, or the achievements we’ve racked up throughout our lifetime. It is our passion that inspires other people. We’ve all seen this to be true. Look at those of us who drink coffee: we talk coffee, drink coffee, go out of our way to taste new presentations of coffee. Sooner or later we notice that our friends all feel the same way we do. We may even begin to attend coffee cuppings, and other bizarre coffee rituals! It is our passion that intrigues other people enough to make them pick up a coffee mug and join the crew.
So what are your passions?
Your priorities will reflect your passions: how do you spend your time? What gets you excited and makes you drive across town for a new experience?
Your conversations will relate your passions. No secret here. I write Coffee Shop Journal. I read, and tell you about it. I wonder about the kingdom and feel like a five year old wobbling in high heels as I try to walk in it, but I do love the kingdom. I travel. Yes, I think I believe this. Our conversations do show our passions.
Your investments reveal your passions. Yes…money. I never met a bookstore I didn’t love. I don’t care what my cup of coffee costs (OK, maybe I do a little, but I’m really only saying that because I think I should!). Money reflects our heart. But don’t stop there on the investment train: where do you invest your time? thoughts? desires? energy?
This was only the first half of Tom’s sermon last night and today. You can watch the rest at Christ Fellowship’s website. But I was done after the first point. I want to take time out on this Sabbath day to wonder about my passion in God’s kingdom. I want to evaluate where my heart is, and make sure God has control of it. Most of all, I’m glad to be back home where my community is: the people who know me best and challenge me to keep taking the next step of faith.
August 31st, 2008 at 6:14 pm
Hi Marla,
Yes, there is no place like home! Amen.
September 1st, 2008 at 3:45 am
Marla, this is an awesome point. I think that I can too often be rationalising and forget about the passion - and yet passion is what makes us do things in the way we do them. What if we really were to discover our passions? I love blogging/writing. I love strategising and analysing. I love reading of new business models. And I love the idea of bringing hope to people. Good reminder to me to just explore these and work out what it would mean to allow more of these to be expressed.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Awesome blog. Maria and I were listening to the “gold” series on podcast and the passion part really stuck out to me!
(By the way, you and David have been selected as “customers of the week” at our store. Come by for you prize!)
Oh, for anyone interested: we’ll be cupping Burundi Kayanza among other African coffees this Sunday the 7th at 1pm. Join us at the Gardens Mall Starbucks - downstairs, beside Macy’s.
September 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 am
[...] your passion. (Marla blogged on this earlier this week) If you’re paying attention to your life at all, the things you are [...]