Thanks again to Pastor Jef for writing today's post. Be sure to leave him a shout out in the comments.
Breathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I may always be holy.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
“You let the energy go wherever it wants. I have such a rich spiritual life. Most people take drugs to experience that.” ~Shirley MacLaine
While I am not personally a fan of Ms. MacLaine, I do think her beginning thought provides a starting point for a most-excellent meditation on human passion and how it relates to the application of our spiritual gifts and natural talents. There is a certain wisdom in that we must “follow our bliss.” At the same time, if we don’t provide some direction, some pathway(s) for our energy, we may never adequately attend to those things that are necessary in life to accomplish.
Take electricity, for example. An electrical current will follow the path of least resistance, so letting it go wherever it wants could (and likely would) result in a lot of wasted energy, plus create conditions for a lot of personal injuries and property damage. Electricity needs controls and directions if it is to do the work it was created to do.
Passion is much the same as electricity in the sense that it is at its best when directed to perform specific tasks or energize certain gifts/talents a person has. Without passion, our God-given gifts and natural talents typically are under-developed and under-utilized and we become under-achievers in life. With passion driving us, our impulses and our endeavors become vitalized with transformative abilities.
One of the keys to living a productive and joy-filled life is to identify and then dwell in the juncture of your faith, your gifts/talents, and your passion(s). This sweet spot is where we find ourselves fully embracing the tenets of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22.34-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28.19-20).
My prayer is that all will come to live in the joy of combining their gifts/talents and their passion(s) in a way that gives full expression to their love of and faith in God. Most, if not all, of you have publicly proclaimed Jesus as Savior and Lord. I invite you to take another step of faith and invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and enrich your spiritual journey.
If you are ready to give yourself more fully in faith and faithfulness, pray with me this prayer attributed to St. Augustine:
While I am not personally a fan of Ms. MacLaine, I do think her beginning thought provides a starting point for a most-excellent meditation on human passion and how it relates to the application of our spiritual gifts and natural talents. There is a certain wisdom in that we must “follow our bliss.” At the same time, if we don’t provide some direction, some pathway(s) for our energy, we may never adequately attend to those things that are necessary in life to accomplish.
Take electricity, for example. An electrical current will follow the path of least resistance, so letting it go wherever it wants could (and likely would) result in a lot of wasted energy, plus create conditions for a lot of personal injuries and property damage. Electricity needs controls and directions if it is to do the work it was created to do.
Passion is much the same as electricity in the sense that it is at its best when directed to perform specific tasks or energize certain gifts/talents a person has. Without passion, our God-given gifts and natural talents typically are under-developed and under-utilized and we become under-achievers in life. With passion driving us, our impulses and our endeavors become vitalized with transformative abilities.
One of the keys to living a productive and joy-filled life is to identify and then dwell in the juncture of your faith, your gifts/talents, and your passion(s). This sweet spot is where we find ourselves fully embracing the tenets of the Great Commandment (Matthew 22.34-40) and the Great Commission (Matthew 28.19-20).
My prayer is that all will come to live in the joy of combining their gifts/talents and their passion(s) in a way that gives full expression to their love of and faith in God. Most, if not all, of you have publicly proclaimed Jesus as Savior and Lord. I invite you to take another step of faith and invite the Holy Spirit to dwell in you and enrich your spiritual journey.
If you are ready to give yourself more fully in faith and faithfulness, pray with me this prayer attributed to St. Augustine:
Breathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.
Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.
Attract my heart, Holy Spirit,
that I may love only what is holy.
Strengthen me, Holy Spirit,
that I may defend all that is holy.
Protect me, Holy Spirit,
that I may always be holy.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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