Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”-Matthew 22

Last month our St. Paul’s staff headed over to First Church of the Nazarene here in Decatur for the Global Leadership Summit. This conference is put on each year by Willow Creek and hosted by its founding pastor, Bill Hybels. Every year that I’ve attended, I’ve been challenged, convicted, and inspired to keep on understanding and pursuing the gift that God has given me and many others – the gift of leadership.

Hybels gave an opening address to the Summit, and he described leadership as a mysterious force. God chooses to take someone, call and equip them to be the mouthpiece and vessel for accomplishing His Will in a particular place and time, and they get to bring other people along for the ride. I call it a gift because I believe that’s what it is – something we can’t give to ourselves, it has to come from God and it also from individuals who love and trust your heart, vision, and ability to move forward.

How is Your Current Leadership Level?

Have you tried to lead in various ways and roles and found yourself wondering if what you’re doing is even worth it anymore?

In his talk, Hybels went into the danger of burnout from the things God is calling us to manage and grow. He said that when our “passion bucket” is running low, we lose our desire and ethic to lead at a high capacity. He called passion the protein that binds and sustains leaders and their teams. I’m sure you’ve noticed the difference between someone leading with passion, and someone who is not. If I were to look back over my sermons, I have to admit…the ones filled with more personal passion are the ones that stick out to me!

So how full is your passion bucket?

There’s no doubt that our passion level grows and diminishes over time. Some days we get fired up to do what we do. Other times…the feet on the floor feel like our gold star for the day. Take a moment to evaluate that bucket? Is it brimming, half full, nearly empty?

What are you going to do about it? 

Passion is something that can only be refilled by you. No one can give it to you. You have to seek it and find it.

Here are some ways to refill that bucket.

There are two primary ways our passion buckets get refilled; it’s through great, joyful experiences and through heartbreaking moments.

Maybe it’s that vacation away where you were blessed to witness the grandeur of God’s creation or reconnect with a loved one through meaningful time together. Maybe it’s a set time away from your civilization where you can find solitude, quiet, and reflection somewhere remote. Maybe it’s a chance to try something new and exciting…why not skydive? I know a certain St. Paul’s man who just did and lived to tell the tale! Find that time and place where God can refresh your spirit and give you something to hold on to as you move forward with the people who look to you for guidance.

The other catalyst for finding passion is through heartbreak. These are the times (Bill explained) that our hearts go out to someone or something and we’re so distressed by it that we can’t sit and do nothing about it. This is your holy discontent. What has God put on your heart that overcomes your soul when you think about it? That heartbreak can fuel our action and passion. It was heartbreak that fueled one of our small groups into action, creating Decatur Kids Bags of Hope. This action team provides weekend meals for children in our own community below the poverty line, meeting a real need. And this passion is spreading and generating support and interest in both our church and community.

What is it that God is putting on your heart? Whether it’s your mountaintop or valley experience, you need to derive passion from it. There are ideas that God needs to become realities for the sake of His hurting sons and daughters who have forgotten Him. And you might be the next mouthpiece that God is calling to enact that change!

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”

And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Enjoying the Journey,

Pastor Doug