Hide It Under A Bushel? No!
Two days ago @jarridwilson tweeted, "You were called to be passionate, not passive."
Whether he heard it from someone else or came up with it himself, I don't know. But it got me thinking...
Have you ever seen a little kid squeal and jump up and down over a Christmas present he received? It could've been the stupidest little gift, but he was so excited!! Or have you ever thought about how easy it is to upset a kid? Or how when you give him something to believe in, he puts his whole heart into it? After watching the "Santa Clause" movies, my 6-year-old brother sincerely believed for about two years that he would be Santa one day. He just knew Santa would fall off the roof, he'd put on the suit, and he'd turn into the big guy. We played along for so long because it was so cute and he was sooo serious about it. He was GOING to be Santa.
Okay, so not all of us wanted to be Santa when we were little. But we were all born with that passion! To be SO HAPPY when something good happened. To be SO DISTRAUGHT when something bad happened. To BE something. To DO something great. To STAND for what we wanted or what we believed was right. But as we've grown up we've learned to suppress these impulses. Why? Because it's not how mature people conduct themselves. Because it's not socially acceptable. Because my voice sounds funny when I'm excited. Because I look ugly when I cry. Because how are you supposed to dance during praise and worship? Because if I hug someone for too long, it might be awkward. Because maybe we're not good enough friends for me to say that to her. Because what will people think of me if all of a sudden I have feelings about something?
Wow. Those are dumb reasons, right? But instead of doing what comes naturally to us, what our hearts so strongly desire to do, what we were "called" to do, we've become passive. Nothing excites us past a certain point, nothing upsets us enough to REALLY do something about it, nobody knows how much we really care about them... For some of us this suppression on the outside has caused us to suppress things on the inside too. Not even we know how we feel about something or someone, or the extent of those feelings. And we are raising our children to be the same way.
I'm not saying we should act on a whim or impulse. I am saying that when we feel strongly about something, we shouldn't set it aside or brush it off like it doesn't matter. Some of us may have to seek out and try to remember that passion we once had. That fire that once burned in our hearts that we've heaped sand onto. That child-like zeal that we've slowly tucked away.
I pray that when you find it, you will have the boldness to ACT on it.
-Kristian
"No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." -Jesus (Matthew 5:15)
Whether he heard it from someone else or came up with it himself, I don't know. But it got me thinking...
Have you ever seen a little kid squeal and jump up and down over a Christmas present he received? It could've been the stupidest little gift, but he was so excited!! Or have you ever thought about how easy it is to upset a kid? Or how when you give him something to believe in, he puts his whole heart into it? After watching the "Santa Clause" movies, my 6-year-old brother sincerely believed for about two years that he would be Santa one day. He just knew Santa would fall off the roof, he'd put on the suit, and he'd turn into the big guy. We played along for so long because it was so cute and he was sooo serious about it. He was GOING to be Santa.
Okay, so not all of us wanted to be Santa when we were little. But we were all born with that passion! To be SO HAPPY when something good happened. To be SO DISTRAUGHT when something bad happened. To BE something. To DO something great. To STAND for what we wanted or what we believed was right. But as we've grown up we've learned to suppress these impulses. Why? Because it's not how mature people conduct themselves. Because it's not socially acceptable. Because my voice sounds funny when I'm excited. Because I look ugly when I cry. Because how are you supposed to dance during praise and worship? Because if I hug someone for too long, it might be awkward. Because maybe we're not good enough friends for me to say that to her. Because what will people think of me if all of a sudden I have feelings about something?
Wow. Those are dumb reasons, right? But instead of doing what comes naturally to us, what our hearts so strongly desire to do, what we were "called" to do, we've become passive. Nothing excites us past a certain point, nothing upsets us enough to REALLY do something about it, nobody knows how much we really care about them... For some of us this suppression on the outside has caused us to suppress things on the inside too. Not even we know how we feel about something or someone, or the extent of those feelings. And we are raising our children to be the same way.
I'm not saying we should act on a whim or impulse. I am saying that when we feel strongly about something, we shouldn't set it aside or brush it off like it doesn't matter. Some of us may have to seek out and try to remember that passion we once had. That fire that once burned in our hearts that we've heaped sand onto. That child-like zeal that we've slowly tucked away.
I pray that when you find it, you will have the boldness to ACT on it.
-Kristian
"No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house." -Jesus (Matthew 5:15)