Passion and Purpose
Lately, I have been going though a season of questions. Being a freshman in college, there are so many question about my future, my passion, and my career path. Some of these questions have come so much sooner than I ever imagined them to. [What do I want to do in the fashion industry? Do I really want to work in fashion? Should I pursue another career and keep anything fashion related a side-job? Where do I want to work? Who do I want to work for?] When I began questioning if a career linked to the fashion industry (a place that can seem like nothing but superficial, secular, and harsh) was truly what I wanted to pursue and if I would truly be able to honor God through it, I referred back to a book I read this past summer (Passion, by Louie Giglio). In one of my favorite chapters, Louie discusses passion and purpose, which really resonated with me, and I want to share this with everyone!
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
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Louie says, “But the great news is that Paul seems to be legitimizing all of the stuff inside you, affirming that your particular passion can be leveraged for the sake of the kingdom of God. Now, Paul’s words do eliminate some options from our lives, because there are a lot of things we can’t do in the name of Jesus. But that’s not the point of this passage. God isn’t asking you to focus on what you can’t do (you can’t sin to the glory of God), but encouraging you in whatever you can do! When reading Paul’s words, you discover that the division you might be trying to navigate—this “so-called” line in the sand between what is spiritual and what is secular—really doesn’t exist. And when you embrace this, any line of thinking that tells you God can only use you through a “preapproved” spiritual vocation begins to fade away. You begin to see that you can glorify God in many different ways, not only by getting a theological degree or by picking up a guitar to become a worship leader... Paul doesn’t say you should deny the dreams inside you; he says to elevate them for a higher purpose… Live in such a way that, in word and deed, all the gifts, all the vision, all the passion, and everything God has put inside you is used to the fullest possible extent. It is not your passion that determines whether or not your life honors God and is useful to others, it’s your purpose. Why are you doing what you do?”
[Excerpt From: Louie Giglio. “PASSION.” iBooks. https://itun.es/us/uIVHT.l]
“It’s not what a man does that determines whether his (or her) work is sacred or secular, it’s why he does it. The motive is everything.”
All of this was so incredibly refreshing to hear. I truly agree with Louie in that the Lord has given us all individual passions to use for His greater glory. If we all had the except same passions, this life would be way too boring. We must remind each other that the Lord wants us to elevate these passions, whatever they may be, for a higher purpose, in a way that will give all glory to Him, the creator and sustainer of all things.
Although I still am not exactly what job position I would like to hold in the fashion industry one day, I do know that I have a passion for creating and sharing. And I believe, like in many other types of work, I can elevate these passions for a higher purpose, and in a way that I can only hope will honor the King.