Feeling the pull to do something different lately has got me thinking about why a lot of us are living mediocre lives instead of diving in head first into our passions. When I say passions, I’m not referring to flights of whimsy or dirty deeds with the guy or girl down the street. I’m referring to the fire that burns in your soul to give what only you can to the world. I’m talking about the light that takes a hold of you so that it becomes all you think about and all you want to spend your time doing. It’s interesting how all or nothing thinking is frowned upon in psychology. When I use the word “but” in my therapist’s office she tends to warn me against it because she considers it to be “all or nothing” thinking. However, I don’t necessarily agree that “all or nothing” thinking is always bad, for that would be “all or nothing” thinking.
There are some times and some situations where all or nothing serves to fulfill your calling. While I don’t know everything about Albert Einstein and every other great person who ever lived, I strongly doubt that they pursued their calling part time. For some reason, I hesitate to believe that they sat back and said, meh…. I’ll work this 9am-5pm job that I have no passion for and then pursue my passion with my left-over time once the dinner is cooked, the kids are in bed, and I am spent from the day’s activities. I strongly doubt they told inspiration to just sit back and wait until a more convenient time. For some reason, I want to believe that the great men and women of our time were the individuals who leaped headlong into what called to them to the point where they allowed it to consume their being in what maybe some would consider an “obsession.”
In fact, after clearing my mind with some yoga tonight, I realize Jesus was the perfect example of “crazy” passion. How crazy must he have seemed to his disciples when his plan was unveiled by God and he followed the love in his heart to the grave for us. Now, I don’t know about you, but if one of my friends told me, “I love the people of the world so much that I must die to fulfill God’s plan and show them how much I love them.” I might consider recommending them to therapy. I talked about this in a post a few days ago, but true love is shown sometimes in sacrifice… one’s life is the ultimate sacrifice.
Yet, Jesus was not deterred when Peter attempted to talk him out of it. He was steadfast with crazy faith in God’s plan that it would all work for the highest good… and it did! Here we are thousands of years later and many have benefited from the teachings of that man’s life. He followed the plan come literal hell… and overcame the world. I don’t think most of our callings require as tremendous a sacrifice as his or as much faith as his did, so what are we waiting for “Oh ye of little faith…”
We have purposes to be filled and passions to express. The world needs the light of our love expressed in doing the work that has been placed on our hearts.
(Also Elijah in the old testament – killing the sheep or something and running to follow the call of God – he dropped everything and RAN / Abraham up and left his city and all he knew to follow God’s call… Rameses couldn’t understand Moses’ mission and wondered why things couldn’t be the way they were before God spoke to Moses… pretty much everyone in the Bible who was great ran toward what they believed to be God’s call and succeeded)
What is God asking you to sacrifice to fulfill the mission he has placed within your heart? When have you taken a leap of faith? How did it work out?