My wife and I were posed with this question recently in one of our marriage devotional books: "What is your passion, your burden, and your calling?" Think about your answers for a minute. The adjectives seemed to describe similar things from different angles, but as I began to think more deeply about them I realized the following answers emerged...
For me, my passion (or what excites me) is my graduate studies. My burden (or what troubles me) is the affects of legalism in a Christian's life. My calling (or who God is leading me too) was tougher to figure out for me, in between jobs I had always used my ministry position (job) to define this. Of course this topic is probably best said in a blog all its own, but calling is tough for me to discern right now specifically, but I believe it to generally be college age students.
I began to wonder how my life might look if the three aforementioned areas all had the same answer? For instance: What if my passion was sharing God's word in a winsome way, my burden was for those who normally reject the word of God because it is not relevant, and my calling was to a secular public college campus? These three seem to line up really nicely. Almost like a no brainer? What do you do if there seems to be no link between the three?
Maybe finding this link (or trying to create it) is a pipe dream? Maybe this is middle earth's way of trying to make sense (purpose) out of the randomness of the faith journey? Maybe we just need to do the best with what we have? Can you pray for a burden? Can you pray for all three of these to line-up? Are the really effective Christian's the one's who have these three aligned? What are the implications of having or not having congruence in the areas above?
Any thoughts? Share your three as well so I know where you are coming from...
For me, my passion (or what excites me) is my graduate studies. My burden (or what troubles me) is the affects of legalism in a Christian's life. My calling (or who God is leading me too) was tougher to figure out for me, in between jobs I had always used my ministry position (job) to define this. Of course this topic is probably best said in a blog all its own, but calling is tough for me to discern right now specifically, but I believe it to generally be college age students.
I began to wonder how my life might look if the three aforementioned areas all had the same answer? For instance: What if my passion was sharing God's word in a winsome way, my burden was for those who normally reject the word of God because it is not relevant, and my calling was to a secular public college campus? These three seem to line up really nicely. Almost like a no brainer? What do you do if there seems to be no link between the three?
Maybe finding this link (or trying to create it) is a pipe dream? Maybe this is middle earth's way of trying to make sense (purpose) out of the randomness of the faith journey? Maybe we just need to do the best with what we have? Can you pray for a burden? Can you pray for all three of these to line-up? Are the really effective Christian's the one's who have these three aligned? What are the implications of having or not having congruence in the areas above?
Any thoughts? Share your three as well so I know where you are coming from...
3 comments:
I'd agree that passion, burden, and calling would most likely go hand-in-hand. God puts each of them in us - giving us a burden for something, then calling us to that thing, and giving us a passion for His will in that area.
Another note...This caught my attention: "What if my ... burden was for those who normally reject the word of God because it is not relevant?"
As Christians, we must believe that the Word of God (the Gospel) is always relevant - because God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and because man is and always will be sinful. There's nothing new under the sun. The Gospel is the same today as it was for a man in the 4th century.
The ONLY time the Gospel can become irrevelant is when it is not THE Gospel that is being presented - but rather, something that might confuse itself for the real thing.
If the Gospel needs our help to stay relevant, then we are in trouble.
However, if the Gospel - the Word of God - is the power of God to save men, in and of itself, then we can have hope in the seed being planted.
Reply to Luke...
>>If the Gospel needs our help to stay relevant, then we are in trouble. <<
Welcome to the Emergent Movement, we are in trouble...
What do you think? Read my blog on Category "religion" about the Emergent Church and drop me another line (Thanks Luke)
JMAK
My passion is dialoguing with other people about grandiose ideas. Trying to find truth and apply it.
My burden lately is how the church and politics have been fused together.
I think my calling is to break down the false political barriers that prevent people from experiencing God's grace.
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