After Church on Sunday, my wife and I met with some friends for fellowship and to discuss various spiritual topics. This was, of course, at my favorite stop, Starbucks. The weather was great and we sat outside and enjoyed the break from the barrage of cold weather that has become the norm lately.It was interesting to note that each of the four of us had different passions when it came to ministry. My wife’s passion is to sing. My passion is to teach or preach, and our friends had two other ministry visions.

This is a good thing. God created things the way He did so we each would have a passion and particular gifts to be used in ministry. Church should not be a spectator sport, but a place where each person can be used to edify the Body. Scripture says it this way:

What is the outcome then, brethren? When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation Let all things be done for edification (I Corinthians 14:26).

The key is that everything should be done for edification. Hopefully, we all go to church with an expectation that we will receive something from the Lord. But, we should also all be prepared to give something for the Body.

My question today is, what is your gift? What is your passion? Where do you see yourself within the Body of Christ? We each need to know the answers to these questions. If we don’t we will miss opportunities to be used of God.

Ultimately, we will not be all we can be in Christ if we don’t have a passion in ministry. Whatever that passion is, God will use it if we make ourselves available.

I actually learned an important lesson about this from the movie Chariots of Fire. I remember in the movie, Eric Liddle, a fervent Christian and long-distance runner said this:
“God made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure.” What a concept. Only when we use the gifts and passion that God has given us for ministry will we fully feel His pleasure.