One day as I sat in the airport waiting to board a flight, I spoke with a young woman, a graduate student studying medicine at Johns Hopkins University. “If there was one thing you could do with your life, what would that one thing be?” I asked. “I’d have my own overseas medical lab,” she said. “But I don’t think that will ever happen. It’s just too big of a risk and there’s too much to lose.”

This young woman has the desire to have her own lab. It is her dream—and perhaps God has placed this desire in her heart. But because she is looking too much at the obstacles, her passion has been destroyed so her emotions may never give way to action.

This is tragic because without passion, it’s tough to get past the obstacles that always come with fulfilling your calling. If you look too much at what could go wrong, and you shove down passion, you will never start toward your God-given purpose.

In Nehemiah 1, Nehemiah allowed passion to move him to action. When he learned what happened to Jerusalem, that its wall had been broken down, he wept. Then, for “some days” he mourned and fasted and prayed before God. Finally, he solicited the King for what he needed to rebuild the wall. Passion moved him to tears, then to prayer, then to action.

What are your emotions telling you? Take note of when they are moved; these times can be a sign of your God-given calling or purpose. Anger, sadness, longing, and other powerful emotions can be good indicators of how God wants to use you for His purposes.  These could be called your Holy Discontent…

I get fired up about the godless condition of the world. When I hear about little children being abused, I get angry. When someone tells me a story about loyal love, I am deeply moved. An exquisite arrangement of words on a page fills my heart with passion. A story of someone’s heartbreak grieves me. Talking about Christ stirs me up. When coupled with my talents, these passions point in the direction of my purpose of written and spoken communication about things that deeply impact people on a spiritual and emotional level.

Listen to your emotions; then take them to God. Ask Him, “Lord, is there a reason that this desire has always been with me? Lord, do you want to use me in this way?” They may be a green light from God telling you to pursue a particular purpose. Perhaps He is speaking to you through your passions. Finally, don’t look too much at the obstacles that are down the road. It will destroy your passion and with it action.

Additional Resources

The Blueprint for Life study is designed to help you discover the life you were born to live!  The study contains a workbook and ten audio messages featuring Andy Stanley, Louie Giglio, Tony Evans, John Maxwell and others. Now available for digital download for only $6.99 .  You can print multiple copies and click on links to listen to the messages.  CLICK HERE to check it out!