CCBF Biblical Leadership Principle for the Month of April 2023
Photo by Photo by Randalyn Hill on Unsplash
“What Drives Me?”
Three Roles That Passion Plays
The nature of your business makes your purpose
evident. However, purpose without passion lacks energy and fire. Passion
without purpose lacks focus and direction. Passion is the energy of your
soul. So, what is passion? Passion is “Intense emotion compelling
action. A strong devotion to some
object, activity, or concept.”
Passion plays three important roles in our lives as
evidenced by looking at the life and words of the Apostle Paul. Passion has Purpose, Priority and
Power!
1.
Passion Has Purpose
Passion must have a purpose to give focus and
direction to the energy it expends. Moreover, that purpose must represent a
commitment to deeply held core beliefs.
God, who loves us passionately, has created and
designed each of us for His purpose. Therefore, he is influencing your will and
your behaviours so that He can see His purposes
fulfilled:
For it
is God who works in you to will and to act
in
order to fulfill his good purpose.
Phil
2:13
Being
confident of this, that he who began a good work
in you
will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians
1:6
Paul wonderfully articulated his sole purpose, which
was the driving force and energy behind his life-long passion:
But one
thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward
what is
ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize
for
which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Phil
3:13,14
What core
beliefs comprise your purpose
to
which you give your passion?
2.
Passion Has Priority
Passion also determines what is a priority for
you. Paul states that God’s priority is for our good and is meant to conform us
to the image of His Son.
And we know that in all things God works for the
good of those who love him,
who have been called according to his purpose. For those
God foreknew
he also predestined to be conformed to the image
of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers and
sisters.
Romans 8:28,29
Paul says that knowing Christ is such a priority
to him that it displaces all else. From his perspective, no matter what he has
gained (and was well accomplished), he would reduce its value to garbage if it
got in the way of him knowing Christ.
But
whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
What is
more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth
of
knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things.
I
consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ.
Phil
3:7,8
How does your passion align
with God’s passion for you?
3.
Passion Has Power
Passion has power because of the energy we
invest in it. It’s amazing how much power can be exercised when a person is
sold-out and passionate about a cause. For example, Paul endured far more than most
of us for the gospel because of his passion.
As
servants of God we commend ourselves in every way:
in
great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
in
beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work,
sleepless
nights and hunger.
2 Corinthians
6:4,5
Understanding the source of your passion gives
fresh power and perspective to handle the trials and difficulties in life. Paul
expresses this well when he said to the Corinthians:
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though
outwardly we are wasting away,
yet inwardly we are being renewed day
by day. For our light and momentary
troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory
that far outweighs them all.
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on
what is unseen, since
what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen
is eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16 -18
Reflect on an incidence in your life when you
could sense power rising up from within you
over a cause for which you were passionate.
Passion focused and directed on a specific purpose
will clarify your priorities and produce a power
and energy to accomplish great things for God.
Don Moore
Executive Director Canadian Christian Business Federation
Don strongly believes that people are our nation’s most valuable asset. His Listen-Learn-Lead” ap-proach to leadership has made him highly effective in executive roles in a variety of organizations with local, regional, national, and international reach.
An entrepreneurial thinker and strategist, Don built a grassroots movement of denominational and ministry leaders committed to evangelism with The Evangelical Fellowship of Canada (EFC) and led a National Consultation in Ottawa.
Canadian Christian Business Federation
Email:
don@ccbf.org
5792 Eighth Line East
Ariss, ON N0B 1B0
416-725-5586
https://www.ccbf.org
