Student Leadership 501: Passion Sample

Day One — Passion Leads to Purpose

"If you can't figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right to your purpose." Bishop TD Jakes

What excites you? What gets you hype? Is it an idea? An organization or brand? A hobby? What about the things that break your heart? What gets you fired up? If you answer these questions honestly, they will reveal what you’re passionate about.

One definition of passion is “an intense, driving, or overmastering feeling or conviction.” Passion is what fuels you to take action, and it often points you to your purpose. In a world that teaches you to chase after paychecks and high-level positions, we want to challenge you to pursue your passion, because passion can take you further and motivate you more than all the titles and money ever could.

King David knew a thing or two about passion. His passion was one of the things that made him such a dynamic leader. It was also the thing that got him in trouble more than once (Bathsheba, anyone?). But David also demonstrated how to have a God-given desire and then work and wait for that desire to be fulfilled.

In Psalm 37:4, David wrote, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

This doesn’t mean God is a genie — following God doesn’t equate to getting whatever you want. But when you feed your passion for God first, He will work in your heart to align your other passions with His perfect plans. Think of it as the process to passion. You’ve got to get the order right. In allowing ourselves to be moved by God, we allow our hearts to be moved along with us.

This week, feed your passion for God. Seek Him by reading His Word. Worship Him as you go through your day. And then take some time to think about what else you’re passionate about. Make a list. Ask God to show you how those passions might be connected to your purpose and how you can begin pursuing those passions right now. Then join us as we follow David and Walt Disney, two men whose passions had a ripple effect for generations to come.