7 Questions to Find Your Spiritual Passion

Social media can be a great way to find connection and conversation. People share everything from what they did over the weekend to their favorite events to causes they care about. Just today, I scrolled through some impassioned posts related to politics, parenting and college football. Those are certainly three areas that get people taking sides.

You may or may not be using social media to sway people to your ideas, but chances are you're passionate about something.

What am I passionate about? Well, here’s part of my list:

• Movies.
• Vacation and travel. 
• Mystery novels and biographies.
• My home state of Oregon.
• Playing golf on a beautiful sunny day.

You could probably create a similar list of passions. What are the interests that capture your attention and the activities that fill your free time? What are the things you like to talk about?

What Really Matters?

As I look at my list, though, I’m struck by the fact that these are all temporal things that give me pleasure. As much as I love playing golf on a sunny vacation day in Oregon while talking about college football, I also know that there are more important things to focus on — things that move me to action

So, here’s another list of my passions:

• I’m passionate about God and my relationship with Him. Forty years ago, I was a college sophomore with little sense of direction, and God opened my eyes to understand my sin and His provision for that sin through Jesus Christ. My life has never been the same.
• I’m passionate about being a husband, a father and a grandfather. As Merry and I celebrate our anniversary, I realize that each year is sweeter than the one before. I’m proud of my two wonderful daughters, who are now married, as well as my grandson, Carter.
• I’m passionate about God’s calling for my life — to use the skills He has given me in writing and editing to influence people for Christ. I love hearing stories about people whose lives are changed after reading something in an article, book or Bible study that I wrote or edited.
• I’m passionate about being a part of an organization that is helping build godly families. In a time when so many people are struggling with their family relationships, I believe God has raised up the ministry of FamilyLife to provide answers.

My first list of passions consists of my interests. This second list is all about the things of God — and these are the passions I want to define my life.

What Are You Passionate About?

So what captures your allegiance and inspires your passion? You probably could develop an initial list, just as I did, of your interests and hobbies and greatest joys — the things you love doing.

But beyond that, what are the most important things in your life? If you stripped away all the items on your initial list, what would remain? What are the passions that move you to action?

Many of you could answer these questions about your interests, but some of you may have given little thought to your passions. Here are a few questions to spark some fresh thinking:

1. Are you satisfied with your passion for God and your relationship with Him? What needs to change so that He becomes your focus in life? (Read Matthew 22:35-40.)
2. How do you want people to remember you?
3. What would others say you are most passionate about?
4. What convictions has God given you?
5. How has God gifted you?
6. What do you want to accomplish in your relationships?
7. How have you seen God use you to influence others?

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