"I had utterly abandoned myself to Him. Could any choice be as wonderful as His will? Could any place be safer than the center of His will? Did not He assure me by His very presence that His thoughts toward us are good, and not evil? Death to my own plans and desires was almost deliriously delightful. Everything was laid at His nail-scarred feet, life or death, health or illness, appreciation by others or misunderstanding, success or failure as measured by human standards. Only He Himself mattered." - V. Raymond Edman
Today my response to living with passion is simply how much today's devotional resounded with me! Being in full time ministry can get you on the fast track to burn out, so that's one reason this meant so much to me. I wish I had read this a year or so ago before the intense stress sheer survival mode kicked in. Then again, now I have a better understanding and appreciation for what was shared. Life is spiritual but somehow we always categorize things into spiritual and non-spiritual. God is Spirit, we are spirit the life we live (every part) should be full of spirit and passion. The "extraordinary" and "mundane". I am getting to a place where I love God so much, trust His calling, provision and heart that I believe our desires are lining up with His. I know that He wants the best for me, my family, and the ministry...so I should not feel obligated to "do" certain things but through living in the heart beat of Jesus, I can live the life He and I want to live and enjoy it to the fullest. Every part of it! Passion and ministry overflow from abiding in the passionate love of the Father...the joy and energy created from that relationship is where we get the strength to do the work He calls us to.
Here are a few phrases that stood out to me on this devo by Brett Nelson:
- we dusted off favorite hobbies...found ways to laugh and enjoy life
- ...avoided, within reason, some life-draining activities
- my challenges didn't go away, but my passion for life and ministry slowly began to return
- the better we live - exuberantly, joyfully, passionately - the more we can truly live dead
- to live dead does not mean to live in misery
- live with passion...with a quiet and profound trust in the Life Giver
Today, my prayer is to live each day with passion, for in living well, I am humbly opening myself to the challenge to live dead.
Prayer for Unreached People Group: Masalit people of Darfur in western Sudan.
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