Walk in Your Callingናሙና

Walk in Your Calling Day 6: Learn Your Passion

Often, some of your biggest passions can be closely tied to moments of frustration. For many, the motivation to change or fix something in the world came because they saw something wrong. That moment of frustration or anger sparked something in them. Have you ever heard the phrase “holy discontent”? One dictionary defines discontent as a “lack of satisfaction with one’s possessions, status, or situation” or “lack of contentment.” But something about this definition changes when you put the word holy in front of it. Sometimes you see or experience things that cause something in you to snap. You think, That’s it. I can’t take this anymore!

This holy discontent played out in the story of Moses. He had seen a lot of things involving his people–the Hebrews. They were worked way too hard and faced a lot of abuse. He was frustrated and disturbed by what he saw. However, Moses acted based on his frustration rather than his passion for his people. When Moses saw an Egyptian abusing a Hebrew, he took the Egyptian and killed him when no one was looking—talk about frustration! Like Moses, we all have something in our lives that will lead us to a moment where we simply can’t take it anymore.

Frustration is inevitable, but people choose how they respond. Moses’s frustration grew as he witnessed the mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves. When he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrews, it became overwhelming and his emotions got the best of him. Make sure that with every frustration, there is also a moment when you bring it to God to gain His perspective. God is a filter for your discontent. He takes something that is lacking and gives it purpose. After all, that’s what discontent is—a lack of contentment. God intentionally knit that holy discontent in you from the beginning. You aren’t to dwell in it, but to let it become a passion that drives you to make a change by partnering with Him. God is the God of redemption and restoration. He invites you to partner with Him in His restoration plan.

Forty years later, God used a burning bush to catch Moses’s attention so He could speak to him. God told Moses that with His help, the Israelites could be free. Imagine Moses’s emotions in this moment. He questioned his place to do something as big as helping to free the Israelites. Yet God knew his heart and his passion for his people. It wasn’t about what Moses thought he was qualified to do; it was about what God knew he was born to do. God called Moses to act out of his passion for his people, to lead them out of Egypt into freedom.

So, let me ask you: What issue in the world can’t you stand? What problem do you want to see solved? What is your holy discontent? This journey of holy discontent can’t stop at just discovering your passions. You must also pursue a burning bush experience—a moment when the Lord calls you to partner with Him so He can turn that frustration into a passion for change. God wants to bring a miracle out of your passions. He sees your heart, hears your cries, and knows exactly what needs to change. This process of bringing these frustrations to the Lord may take some time, but it’s never too late or too early to discover what makes you think, That’s all I can stand, and I can’t stand it anymore! God is patiently waiting for you to embrace your calling and say yes to helping solve the problem. So, use those passions of yours to drive you and shape the ministry He has called you to!

Prayer

Heavenly Father, thank You that You know my frustrations and what I’m passionate about changing. I pray that my desire to act on these passions would be in full partnership with You. Reveal the holy discontent in my life. Speak clearly to me and allow my passions to be turned into miracles that will advance Your kingdom. Let any bitterness or negative reactions based on emotions be surrendered to You to use in the divine restoration plan You have for this world. Let me be marked with a holy discontent that leads me to action. Amen.