A deep current of passion runs through the soul of most leaders. But just like the current of a river can ebb and flow, a leader’s zeal can too. How can we keep the flow strong and well-directed?
Last fall, God used a documentary on a worship band to deepen my love for Jesus. As I listened to the band members’ stories and songs, their passion for Jesus obviously eclipsed mine. God’s beautiful, searing conviction blazed through my heart. Jesus was elevated in my spirit, and our relationship was strengthened.
In the days and weeks that followed, God did something I wasn’t expecting. He renewed my passion for sharing the gospel—not just within our ministry, but in my personal life as well. Since then, God’s been stirring a deeper, ministry-wide passion for people to place their trust in Jesus.
1. Assess your passion-level. Be honest—if your love for God and/or zeal for your mission have waned, acknowledge it. It’s the first step toward renewal.
2. Be humble and contrite. Repent as God leads, and ask Him to rejuvenate your relationship and restore your passion.
3. Let God do a deep work. Linger with God and in Scripture as He builds your relationship and intensifies your mission fervor. Take this seriously. God uses leaders to bring needed change.
4. Share your passion with close associates. Tell your leadership team about your heightened conviction regarding your mission. Invite their feedback, and invite them to join you on the journey.
5. Keep your board apprised. As the passion deepens within your leadership team, share it with your board for their input and affirmation. God may use your passion to influence theirs, but ultimately the convictions of the board become the practices of the ministry. Their engagement is crucial.
6. Bring your whole team on the journey. Each of your staff members will have his or her own conviction and practice of sharing the gospel, for instance. But as everyone joins in the conversation, God will use all of you—as the body of Christ—to spur one another on.
7. Allow God to form the passion and its outworking within your ministry. The passion came from God, and He is well able to reinstate it and shape your services to people. Give God plenty of time to flesh it out in a Spirit-led, biblical way that’s true to the culture of your ministry.
Stewards manage the affairs of owners. As steward-leaders, everything regarding the ministries we manage is owned by God—the vision, the passion, the mission, the ministry. Steward-leaders cultivate an intimate relationship with their Owner—they pursue His heart, catch His passion, and carry out His mission faithfully.
“Steward-leaders cultivate an intimate relationship with their Owner—they pursue His heart, catch His passion, and carry out His mission faithfully.”
- Lisa Hosler
This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy.
1 Corinthians 4:1-2
In the Comment Section below, share about a time when God renewed your passion and it impacted your ministry or life.
