We all have passion in our life in some regard, whether burnt out or inspired. We chase after crazy dreams with this insane desire to make them happen. Passion is a wonderful thing when inspired because passion can really make things happen, but what happens when passion and obsession is misplaced?
It’s been on my mind lately because of things in my life. Ninja Warrior (as many know I competed in this last season) was an obvious obsession of my passion. It’s not bad to be passionate about something, but what happens when you realize your passion has taken you away from things more important. Passion has faded in my faith. While still ever present in my life, and it was a constant strength to me during training and for my two weeks in LA. I felt the fires die down a little as my desires for Ninja rose. I’m sure most Christian have been here before. When something consumes their life, and faith becomes a back burner. Not that we ever truly lose the faith, but we lose the passion we had for it.
I suppose the big question to kick this off is, “What is passion and where does it come from?”
Non-Christians would probably tell you it a powerful drive that comes from inside ourselves. That is comes from a place so human we can’t help it (not to say all do, but I’ve heard that before). As a Christian though I have the belief passion comes from the spirit. Passion to me comes from an externally place. We don’t wake up one morning suddenly passionate about something. We are inspired. People who create are inspired in their works. Art inspires art. Athletes inspire athletes. But what is that fundamental moment in time when someone decides they want to do something or be something?
For me it started after watching one episode of Ninja, but that wasn’t passion then. That was a notion that I wanted to do it. After starting training I developed passion over time. Same thing for most of the things I am passionate about. It took time and dedication before passion really started to grow. We are drawn to things and passion starts to develop the further we delve into them. We are all inspired at some point in our life (many times most likely) and somethings click so we start to dedicate to it. These moments are something deep in the spirit, something that calls to us from a far. Sadly some people may be inspired to do terrible things, while others inspired to greatness (I believe this another discussion regarding the influence of the devil, which perhaps I will cover another time).
From my perspective God is at the center of creativity and passion. True inspiration starts in the world that he created. True creativity all around us. He created us to be inspired to be passionate. He created us in his image, like the creator he is he made us to be creators and shapers of our lives. We have a certain freedom to choose, and he has given us inspiration and passion in life to chase after dreams. But finally reaching my point, what happens when our passions are too much? What happens when God becomes less?
Well we lose the connection to that spirit and that creator. We lose our inspirations. We replace inspiration with fear of lose. Our work which perhaps we once enjoyed becomes like a chain we feel we are tethered to and can’t escape. The things that were fun became painful. Returning to the center of our passion. Returning to God is how we can be reinspired to seek after these things, but the big conclusion is be passionate first for the one who created passion. Delve into him. Like with all things if you are not passionate towards him make him an every day routine so he can be an everyday obsession. We fight through bad days for passion to train or learn, now let’s find our way back to being passionate believers.
I want to encourage Christians and non-Christians to seek after God. If you don’t know what this means find a church, read the bible, find a person in your life who has that such joy in Christ! Let other help you! If you are a Christian and feel burnt out like I have been do similar. Get in a church community, get into the word and Seek after God till you find passion and don’t stop. Be inspired to seek after him and find passion through him in your spirit so you can be passionate and wise in all the other adventures of life.
In my life I want God first. I want to seek him out till nothing else matters, and then and only then can stand firmly in his ways and with wisdom, strength and confidence I can take on all the things of the world he calls me to!
-Dan
I have a dream and I’ve watched more dreams than I can count fade away. Not this time. This time I’m pushing harder and giving everything to be on American Ninja Warrior! It’s been a long road so far and maybe this is just part 1 of the actual adventure to come. Whatever happens I’ve started this and I intend to see it through, because this has become something I absolutely love.
At the end of the second week of Ninja Warrior training I’m once again exhausted, but in a way that thrills me. As of last week I learned my weaknesses (
