I lay in bed yesterday reflecting on what a hard working husband I have. He is dedicated to his job and puts himself into all that he does. God has called him to serve youth, and he does so with a gentle, caring, and wholly-invested heart.
He is passionate about students and Christ, and that passion helps him tackle the difficult aspects of ministry.
While I was snug in my bed, he was working alongside other students and volunteers to clean up after our church’s harvest party. He may have shed his Friar Tuck costume, but he was still laboring for Christ.
Our passions motivate us to do things that are tiresome, unsavory, and stressful. They inspire us to be selfless in our actions and attitudes.
This is best displayed in Jesus’ life. He was (and is, still) so passionately in love with us that He made the ultimate self-sacrifice. He died to save His children. In turn, our passion for Christ moves us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him. (Matthew 16:24).
As witnessed by Tim’s passions resulting in service and sacrifice, the same pattern occurs on a smaller scale in our daily life. Let me rephrase that. It should happen in our day to day life.
But, if you’re like me, God ordained passions don’t always translate into selfless behavior. It wasn’t until I lay there last night, reflecting on what a hard working man I married, that I realized where the disconnect occurs.
I’ve been missing the action step. Those passions need to be expressed in motion and service. Selflessness is a practice – the more you do it, the more natural it will become.
I can see the evidence of this missing step in my relationship with Tim. I realize this may be stating the obvious, but I’m passionate about my husband. I’m not just talking about being passionately in love with Tim ,but being passionate about supporting his calling to youth and family ministry. I may not have the same calling, but I’m passionate about being an encouragement and a help to my husband as he pursues his passion for the Church.
In theory, my passion for Tim should spur me on to selfless service and support. To be honest, I haven’t been doing a great job in that department lately. I find myself consistently rebelling against opportunities to serve and put Tim first.
I am missing the action aspect working in conjunction with my passion to produce selfless fruit. It took my husband’s example to illuminate this disconnect.
I have been relying on feelings to produce selfless love and support for Tim, but feelings can be fickle. I must put my passion to work. Practicing love, patience, grace, encouragement, and forgiveness should work up a sweat.
A harvest doesn’t happen without tilling the soil, planting the seed, watering the plants, and reaping what was sewn.
Being selfless isn’t an automatic result of having a passion, but with diligence and hard work, passions produce God-honoring beauty and bounty.
Emily C Gardner 