Have you ever been fortunate to go to a women’s seminar with inspiring speakers and encouraging music? The event was so uplifting that you felt you could do anything, and you were fired-up to go home and change the world.
By the time you walked through the door to your house, some of your initial enthusiasm had died down. Within days after the event, you had all but forgotten your dreams and goals for change.
That often happens with mountaintop experiences. They are important, even necessary for Christians to keep them motivated and give them the encouragement they need for day-to-day living. But we don’t live in the mountains all of the time, especially in the area of ministry. It’s far more common to be living in the valley where it seems that our efforts are wasted.
So, how do you keep the passion alive when you spend most of your time in the valley and seldom see the mountains?
Keep Your Passion for Jesus
Children will eagerly do the most mundane tasks because their parents ask them to. Of course, this is when they are young and many jobs are challenges for them. But they are diligent in their efforts even when they don’t succeed. Why? Because they are doing it for Mommy or Daddy. They want someone to be proud of them and to applaud them for their efforts. And because they love their parents.
We must realize that our efforts are not just for the people around us, the people that are unthankful, even rude. We are doing our ministry for Christ. It is His approval, His applause we seek. Like a child, we want to make God happy. As long as we have a passion for Him, no task will be mundane or boring.
Know Where You Belong
Make sure you are still in the center of God’s will. Sometimes He is ready to move us somewhere else before we are ready to go. When we lose the passion for the ministry we are currently in, it may be a sign that it is time to move in a new direction.
Take Care of Yourself
While moving to a new ministry can cause you to lose your passion for where you are, a reason that is far more common is much simpler: you are tired.
If you have a constantly hectic schedule with multiple responsibilities in your life, you are going to get tired. As you diligently trudge through the obligations, you may not feel the excitement and passion you once did.
Take time to rest and rejuvenate, even if it is just a nap or a walk in a park. Make more permanent changes in your schedule if necessary to help you feel re-energized.
Don’t forget that your spirit needs this as much as your body. If you are always giving and never receiving, one day you will be empty. Never forget to take out time to spend with God, reading His word and praying. It will rejuvenate your spirit and re-kindle your passion in a way that nothing else can. Have your own mini-mountaintop experience every day before going out to the valley.
What is causing you to lose your passion and what are you going to do about it? Leave a comment about what changes you are going to make to help you get re-energized in your ministry.
