What drives your passion? Are you passionate on what you do? Or are you the typical just-go-with-the-flow guy who just wants to finish the day to go home and rest?
There is so much about PASSION that we oftentimes neglect, things that we might know already. For many, it is just a word to describe the feeling when you are so hooked into a television series, sports, or even the arts.
And when it comes to life-size Art paintings, perhaps the Sistine Chapel contains the best among all of the art works. As Wikipedia describes it:
"The composition stretches over 500 square metres of ceiling, and contains over 300 figures."
But what makes it more interesting is the person who painted all of the 300 life-size figures. While he was doing his work, he was asked why was he putting on so much effort on painting those images on corner parts of the ceiling where no one could ever notice them. His answer was remarkable:
"God will see."
The artist was Michaelangelo. HowStuffWorks describes his work as:
"Working on scaffolding was physically demanding, and Michelangelo created image after image on an ever increasing scale. He eventually exerted all the power of his mind and spirit, using themes and motifs from past sculptural works in his glorious fresco masterpiece. The four-year ordeal proved physically and emotionally agonizing for the reluctant artist."
How can a person do such a marvelous thing! Could it be that Michaelangelo found the secret to unleash his passion?
The Book of Colossians (Chapter 3; Verses 23 to 24) tells us to:
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
3 Things to Know about Passion
1. The Scope: "Whatever you do..."
This encompasses almost all of the things that you do - washing the dishes, reading a book, walking out on a cold morning for your exercise, etc. This also involves the work that you have - may it be as a teacher, an engineer, a housekeeper, a bookkeeper, a store owner, or a store keeper, etc. In short, the scope is everything that is on your reach to accomplish.
2. The Attitude: "Work heartily..."
In order to know how it is to work with all of your heart, first let us look at working halfheartedly. Have you seen someone do a task that you ask them to do halfheartedly? Isn't it that you feel that he could do even much more if he had just done it wholeheartedly? What would you feel if he did it with all of his heart? Great, isn't it? That's how to work with all of your heart. You give out all that you can, all that is from within, to complete the work. But this will be hard if you will not know the third secret.
3. The Source: "...as for the Lord and not for men."
The truth is, you cannot please everyone no matter how hard you try. Every person is unique. Every person has his own likes and dislikes. And that includes your boss, your workmates, your friends, your neighbors, your family. So instead of putting all of your effort to please men, focus on pleasing God.
But this will not mean anything to you unless you have a personal relationship with Him already. The Bible says that it is SIN that separates man from God:
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." - Romans 3:23
And with SIN, we will be forever be separated from God:
"For the wages of sin is death (into hell separated from God in eternity), but the free gift of God is eternal life (to be with God in eternity) in Christ Jesus our Lord (Jesus the only way, the truth and the life)." - Romans 6:23 (parenthesis phrases mine)
You will not understand how to work for the Lord unless you know the Lord of whom you will be working for. But the good news is: God longs for you to call upon Him and to surrender your life unto Him. Turn away from your sinful lifestyle. As John 1:12 says:
"But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
You call unto Jesus Christ, surrender your life unto Him and make Him your Lord and Savior. He will give you the passion that you wish to have.
© 2015 Erickson Ibana
Images found using Google Image Search: "passion" and "col 3:23"
