Passion and Priorities

Church Relevance - Issue 5
March 2006
by Kent Shaffer

Am I passionate enough about this band to give them some of my limited resources?

I knew there was something special about that remark as soon as Jeff Scheel spoke it. He’s a booking agent in the Midwest with years of experience in the music industry, and his words aptly summed up the most important question facing those working on the business side of music. But his question applies to much more than records and concerts. His question applies to you. Yes, it applies to pastors, missionaries, designers, and church marketers. Are you applying your limited resources to what you are passionate about?

We live in a world full of potential but also challenged by limitations. Of course, we want success, but there is a big difference between want and achievement. We all want to be millionaires but not all of us are. Athletes want Olympic gold, but few actually obtain it. We want to make the most of our calling, but are we achieving it?

To reach success, you need passion and priorities. Passion will drive you. Priorities will give you direction. Passion without priorities is chaos, and priorities without passion are inefficient.

WHAT IS PASSION?

Passion can refer to many things. It can reference Christ’s suffering for us, and it can also reference sinful natures such as lust and hatred. However, in this use, passion refers to enthusiasm, love, and commitment. It is a powerful thing, and if used properly, it will enhance everything it touches. We serve a passionate God. He was passionate about His relationship with the Israelites (Exodus 34:15), and He is passionate about His relationship with you. He wants you to reciprocate that passion. He wants you to be passionate about Him, but He also wants you to be passionate about the calling and the gifts He has given you. Think about it. Why are you passionate about some things but not others? Why do some people love math, but others hate it? God has designed every individual for a unique purpose and has given them gifts accordingly (1 Corinthians 12). We naturally feel passionate about the gifts God has given us. You can even be passionate about mundane tasks if you follow Ephesians 6:7 and “work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord.” Your passion for God should create excellence in everything you do. Even though passion enhances your life, you still need priorities to maximize your results.

WHY PRIORITIES?

Passion is a good thing. It boosts the quantity and quality of your work. But priorities make certain that the right work gets done. We are all familiar with the concept of priorities, but let’s look at three keys to creating passion-friendly priorities. First, God’s Word should be the foundation of all of your priorities. Your priorities must align with the Bible. God even started your priority list by giving you specific priorities, such as keeping Him first and loving your spouse. Second, stay focused on your calling. More than ever, our world is full of distractions. Stay on course. A solid prayer life is necessary to ensure that your heart is still focused on the calling. Third, specialize and delegate. You should be doing the things that only you can do. Learn to delegate to others so that you can do what God has given you a passion for. Remember your resources are limited. Strive to make good use of them. Ideally, your priorities will focus on areas that appeal to your God given gifts. When you do this, you will unleash and focus the natural passion God has given you to accomplish your calling.

PHYSICS

If you ever took a physics class, you may remember that velocity is described as speed with direction. You may also recall that momentum is an object’s mass multiplied by its velocity. The velocity determines to what degree the mass is moved. Outside of the physics lab, you have probably heard the term “momentum” applied to a results-driven organization. It has become a popular buzz word. Your ministry has a momentum. The “mass” is all of the tasks and work that must be done. Your passion is the “speed,” and your priorities are the “direction.” In simple terminology, your passion and priorities will determine the accomplishments and successes of your ministry. Build your momentum. If you want success for your ministry, learn to use the power of passion and priorities. In doing so, you will have not a want of success. You will have achievement.

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