Stop Settling for “Almost”: Passion Is a Process, Not Just a Feeling
Part One of the “Living a Remarkable Life” series
Every year, the world pauses to celebrate remarkable achievement. Red carpets are rolled out, cameras flash, and awards are presented to people who have distinguished themselves through talent, discipline, creativity, and perseverance. Yet a remarkable life is not reserved for celebrities, and significance is not measured by applause. Some of the most remarkable people will never stand on a public stage, but their faithfulness, courage, and love will leave a lasting mark.
Unfortunately, many of us settle for an “almost” life. We almost begin the assignment, almost pursue the calling, almost forgive the person who hurt us, or almost become the person God is inviting us to be. Almost feels safe because it allows us to remain near our purpose without fully committing to it. Over time, hesitation pulls us into what I call the “Sea of Grey,” where we blend in, go through the motions, and slowly lose our spiritual fire.
Over the next five newsletters, we will explore five lessons from the Gospel of Mark that can help us move out of the Sea of Grey and into a remarkable life. Mark is compact, urgent, and filled with people who must decide how they will respond to Jesus. The first lesson begins with passion.
Passion Must Be Cultivated
Many people wait for passion to arrive like a sudden spark. They tell themselves they will write when they feel inspired, serve when they feel motivated, pray when they feel spiritual, or pursue their calling when life becomes less complicated. The problem is that ideal conditions rarely arrive, and feelings are too unpredictable to become the foundation of a faithful life.
Passion is not merely a feeling you experience. It is a fire you learn to tend. The early church used the word acedia to describe a sluggishness of the soul, a state in which we stop caring deeply about what matters most. We may continue functioning, but the joy, urgency, and holy desire begin to fade.
John the Baptist offers a powerful contrast. He carried a clear message, lived with conviction, and prepared people to encounter Jesus. His passion was not rooted in a desire to remain at the center of attention. He understood that his purpose was to point beyond himself, declaring, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).
Fire, Water, and Steam
Think of your life as a steam engine. The Word of God is the water, the Spirit of God is the fire, and solitude is the furnace where the two meet. When the fire of the Spirit touches the water of the Word within you, steam is produced. That steam becomes the energy that moves the locomotive of your purpose forward.
You cannot continually pour out what you have not allowed God to pour in. Passion needs fuel, and without intentional time in Scripture, prayer, and quiet reflection, even a sincere believer can become spiritually indifferent. The answer is not to manufacture more emotion. The answer is to return to the source and allow God to renew what has become tired, distracted, or cold.
Your Practice This Week
Schedule one “Solitude Session” this week, even if you can only protect twenty or thirty minutes. Put away your phone, open your Bible, and ask God two honest questions: “What has been cooling the fire within me?” and “What do You want to reignite?” Do not force an experience or pressure yourself to produce an immediate answer. Simply become available and let the fire meet the water again.
Passion gives us the energy to move, but energy without formation can send us in the wrong direction. Before God entrusts us with greater influence, He often leads us through hidden seasons where character can catch up with calling. In the next newsletter, we will explore why obscurity is not always a setback. Sometimes it is the furnace where a remarkable life is forged.
Over the next several months, I will be sharing articles drawn from the books I have written during the past sixteen years. Each article will include a link to the book for readers who would like to explore the subject more deeply. If that is not something you need, simply enjoy the article itself. :-) ||Here is the book link for this article||
Are you familiar with “(Secrets of a) Passionate Marriage” by David Schnarch?