by Mark Cabaniss
Managing Director, Alfred Sacred
God has placed in each of us certain gifts that, when used, awake in a passion within. Are you leading with passion or does your fire need fanning?
I’ll never forget a moment I shared with some music students at a university recently. As I droned on and on about the music business and what might have seemed like useless details to them, it wasn’t until I spoke of one particular subject which had nothing to do directly with the music business that you could have heard the proverbial pin drop. The subject: Passion in one’s chosen profession. In that moment, we discussed how God has placed in each of us certain gifts that when used awake in a passion within.
As I challenged them to discover those gifts, the interested and uninterested alike were suddenly transfixed. All 100+ students were silent and still. It was one of those moments when you know you’ve struck a nerve.
So we know that true passion exists. We’ve all experienced those occasions when we were completely absorbed in something we lost all track of time. But once we’ve found that passion, how do we nurture and keep it thriving? From what I keep hearing these days, burnout among ministers of music is almost as rampant as downsizing. We must not only discover but foster that God-given passion. Then, I believe leading others, achieving goals, and affecting lives positively from a Christian perspective at deeper levels is possible. How do we know if we’re honestly leading with passion or if our fire needs fanning? Here are a few ideas to consider:
1. Feel and express genuine enthusiasm.
Are we joyful about our lives? Not only in our work but in all areas? Sharing enthusiasm with those around us is important. It will help others catch the vision and pursue common goals.
2. Generate creative new ideas.
If we’re leading with passion, our creative thinking is at a high level as if running on creative adrenaline. We’re able to think laterally, considering all sorts of new options we’ve never considered before.
3. Show optimism toward the future.
If we are committed to achieving the goals we feel God has called us to accomplish for the future why shouldn’t we be optimistic? If those goals don’t motivate us to be excited about tomorrow we should re-examine ourselves and or our motivation.
4. Take care physically.
Our emotional and physical lives are interminably linked. If we’re passionate about our lives and leadership, we’ll be motivated to take care of our bodies in a balanced, healthy way.
5. Take care spiritually.
Of course, this is a vital, daily process. Our spiritual lives fuel all that flows out of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. If our relationship with God is healthy, all the other facets of life will flow together and the fire of passion will follow.
Let’s lead with direction! Let’s lead with purpose! Let’s lead with passion!
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