Monday, August 22, 2011

Top Ten Mistakes Women Leaders Make - #2 Not being passionate about what they are doing

#2 Not being passionate about what they are doing

            Passion and purpose is something that only God can give. Effective women leaders are passionate and have a biblical direction to their passion. Think about the women leaders that you know. Chances are that God has given them a passion for something and they are enthusiastic about that purpose that God has called them to. Women follow women with passion and who know where they are going.
            We may think we are passionate about what God has called us to, but when we get out there with a little bump in the road, we can change our priorities in a hurry. Let someone question us or get upset with us and we are off and running, just sure that it was all a mistake and that we must not be on the right pathway.
            Passionate aim is something that God stirs deep within us. It is what drives us and motivates us. It makes us get up in the morning and keeps us from going to bed at night.  It occupies our time, our energy and all our very being.  Passionate aim is who we are in Christ. It is the driving force behind what we do and why you do it. It is who we are when no one else is around. It is what makes us tick. Passionate aim is what people need and want in their lives. 
            Jesus was passionate. He was passionate about His mission. He was passionate about spending time with the Father on a daily basis.  He was passionate about people and making sure they heard the message of truth and love and salvation.  He never tired of telling stories.  He never tired of healing souls.  It drove him in every area and walked Him to the cross.  Don't get the idea that He was never tired physically, because we know that He was.  But He never stopped His mission because a greater force, His heavenly Father, compelled him.
            I believe that God gives everyone a passion to fulfill the purpose or calling He has for his or her life.  Maybe that calling is in full-time ministry or maybe it is not.  Each one is called to know Christ, share Him, and lead others to do the same.  However, each one will do in with different gifts and in different ways.  Everyone won't be the big name speaker.  Everyone won't be Mother Theresa.  Women should be passionate about the ministry that God has called them to. Discover the reason you are in this world and make the most of it.  If you want to make a difference, you have to find out what your passion is.  You have to learn who you are and what gifts and talents you have and what God's plan is for your life.
            How do we do that?  As we sit down with the Father, He begins to unfold His plan for our lives.  What an incredible picture we see in Jeremiah 29:11-13, “’For I know the plans I have for you’ -[this is] the Lord’s declaration-‘plans for [your] welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” . God wants us to come to Him and seek Him. The best part is, He lets us find Him. He desires to give us His passion and purpose for our lives.
            Many make the mistake of thinking that their passion comes from within themselves.  Passion can come from anywhere but the passion that changes lives is the passion that comes from God. He does not count on us mustering up something ourselves, in fact, I am quite sure that He plans on being the sole supplier of our passion. When it comes from Him and we spend time with Him, then He can grow and develop the passion that He has placed within us.

Today's post taken from Women Leading Women: The Biblical Model for the Church, chapter 5, written by Jaye Martin.