by Michael Donahoe
My wife and I have some friends who are very much involved and active in certain areas of ministry. We were recently talking about the passion these friends have for their particular ministry.
That got me thinking about passion. The dictionary says passion is a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for anything. This certainly describes our friends, and we are happy that they are involved so much.
We both stated that we felt we did not have a passion like this for any particular thing. It actually made us feel a little disappointed and wondered why we did not seem to have passion like our friends.
I think passion is great, yet in some ways, passion for the wrong things or done in extreme ways can be very tiring and frustrating. A passion for money and business success can cause people to work many hours, consuming their energy and taking time away from family. Passion like that can gradually drain your strength and purpose. Yet, people who have passion for showing God’s love by helping others, and using it in moderation, can see their lives enriched and strengthened and often seem to have endless energy.
The only trouble I see with passion is that it can sometimes become an obsession with the ones involved, and they can begin to expect everyone to have the same passion they have for the same thing. This is where we must realize that God designed each of us with different gifts, abilities and passions, and they are displayed differently in each of us.
I think each of us has a passion for what God designed us to be. We may not be as outspoken or even act the same way as others with passion, but each of us reacts in a way that is effective according to the personality and gifts with which we are designed. We may not even realize the passion that shows through to others, but rest assured, God will work through us to touch others with love and fulfill the purpose we were designed to achieve.
We are all designed differently, and we all act and display our uniqueness in various ways. It is wrong to think we are not useful to God because we do not act like someone else. God works through us based on the way we were created. We are each unique temples of the Holy Spirit, and we each make an impact on those we have contact with through the power and love of God within us.
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Michael Donahoe was added as a writer for Done with Religion as his views fit perfectly with those that are shared on this site. He and his wife have been outside the walls of religion for fifteen years. He enjoys writing about his experiences and thoughts, and he wants to encourage others who are going through the religious deconstruction process. He also writes on Substack at https://deconstructiontrail.substack.com/ and https://personalmeanderings.substack.com/
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