in need of a revival

In every job there are stressful times. Times where, despite one’s best intentions, things just don’t fall the way they were expected to . Sometimes long hours are required and sometimes we make me mistakes that force us back to the drawing board when we thought we were nearing the finish line. Sometimes our passion is drained by the storms and stresses that come from chasing our dreams. This is a fact of life and the price we pay when we leave average behind in pursuit of awesome.

I know a lot of people read that first paragraph and think “if you get tired and drained then you must not really be chasing your passion,” but it’s foolish to think there won’t be challenging times. No matter how passionate we are there will always be times where the going gets tough.

I know this first hand because it’s been a crazy summer. As the summer came to a close two weeks ago I found myself asking, “what happened to the passion I had just a few months ago?” Again, some would say this is a sign that I’m not following my dream, but I’m convinced these times are merely a part of the cycle. After all, if we were to pursue something new every time we got a little worn out we would be chasing after something new every few months. We can’t be full of energy all the time and things happen that throw you off.  As I thought through my personal “trough” I realized it was a time for a revival.

If you’re unfamiliar with what a Christian revival is here’s a quick snippet. Christian revivals, in the traditional sense, are periods of time where there are an unusual number of worship services meant to remind the participant of God’s awesomeness and challenge us to step up our game. When we get drained we can utilize this revival idea to breathe life back into our passion. Here are some thoughts that occurred to me:

1) Go to a conference:

What better way to get back to the heart of your passion then by spending a weekend/week with like-minded individuals? Going to a conference is a great way to breathe life back into your passion. It’s easy to start feeling like we’re alone in our work, but it’s refreshing to gather with people who are doing the same work as you.

2) Break out:

One thing that can be a big drain on our passion is routine. if you’re starting to feel bored, try mixing things up – do a different event, try a different approach to your job, and step outside of the normal routine. I’ve found that this is one of the biggest keys to longevity.

3) Cling to God: 

Often we  lose sight of our passion because we have become separated from the source of our passion. The times where I’ve been the most tired and frustrated are the times where I’ve been the farthest from God. When you start to feel drained ask yourself, “am I walking closely with God?”

We all come to times where we’re in need of a revival and there’s no shame in that. If you’re tired, don’t give up on your passion, start a revival.

where am i?

I was a little worried when I ordered Jon Acuff’s new book that it wouldn’t apply to me. After all, since the release of Quitter I’ve started a blog, entered full-time ministry and planning to go back to school in the fall. I feel like I’ve come a long way since I first cracked open the pages of Quitter, but I’m glad I was wrong. I’m a few chapters in and already gleaning a lot of really great things from the pages of Start. I can’t wait to share those gleanings here on the blog.

In the early pages Jon Acuff says something I’ve never considered. He says, “Before you start you need to first ask the question, ‘Where am I?’ You have to take into account where you are as you think about where you’re going.” These few sentences have me asking the question, “Where am I?”

This is such a great question because it’s the most effective wake up call I’ve ever received. I’ve been pursuing my dream of full-time, professional ministry for almost two years now, but there always been this feeling like something was holding me back. I could never put my finger on what it was, but I knew something was keeping me from achieving as much as I could.

When I slow down and recognize where I’m at as well as where I want to go, I become acutely aware of the things that are holding me back. I become aware of the habits I need to break, the habits I need to form, and what barriers are keeping me from God’s greater plan. As Acuff points out, when you recognize where you are the present becomes a platform to jump from not a weight holding you down.

God has a greater plan for our lives and is asking us to simply start. Recognizing where we are and using it as a platform to jump from is the best place to start.

Where are you right now? What has God given you a passion for? What’s keeping you from starting?