What to Do When Your Passion Fades

January 30, 2012 in Life,Mission,Strategy with 5 Comments

Most of us would love passion to fuel our life and work every day.

That’s always how it starts, right?  When you begin something, it’s pretty much all passion.

Whether you’ve felt a call into ministry, you’re starting a new job, you’re toying with a new idea, or you’re even beginning a new relationship, passion gets us out of the gate almost every time.  And it can stay around for a season or two.

The problem is for all of us, passion fades.   Even when we know something is right-that we really shouldn’t be doing anything else-passion wanes.  Give it a season, a year, or (for the ultra passionate), a decade, eventually it just doesn’t feel like it used to. Or like we think it’s supposed to.

That’s when we do one of two things:

  • We look for ways to renew our passion.  A new project.  Better numbers.  More growth.  A promotion.  A new pattern.  A side hobby.
  • We look for a new position.  We leave what we used to think was our dream calling and hope to find a new one somewhere else.

Can’t get passionate about this job anymore?  Find a new one.  Don’t like your current spouse? Trade her in.

Which is a shame.  Because passion has a surprising counterpart:  perseverance.

So many people quit what could be a life calling not because the calling dried up but because their passion did.  Sometimes perseverance is the only difference between what you are currently feeling and what you once again feel, between the results you are getting in your current work and the results that are just around the corner.

I always wonder how many people quit just moments before a critical breakthrough.

God never promised that all of our days would be filled with passion.  Nor, actually, is passion listed as a virtue.  Guess what is listed as a virtue?  Perseverance.

You will have days, weeks, even seasons that are characterized by passion for what you’re doing.

And you will have periods of time – sometimes long periods of time – where you will simply have to persevere.

What I’ve discovered is that on the other side of perseverance is renewed passion.

Maybe the best thing you can do if you’ve got a great idea, a great calling, a great work,  is hang in there.  You’ll be surprised what you might discover.  And accomplish.

About Carey Nieuwhof: Carey Nieuwhof is lead pastor of Connexus Community Church and author of the best selling books, Leading Change Without Losing It and Parenting Beyond Your Capacity. Carey speaks to North American and global church leaders about change, leadership, and parenting.

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  • http://everydayawe.com Stephanie Spencer

    Yes! There is so much at our fingertips, that we have become a culture that doesn’t commit. If it doesn’t satisfy us now, we move on. We are all about instant gratification. I think perseverance is a virtue that is being lost. Great reminder.

  • http://www.sharoneden.biz Sharon Eden

    Love your post, Carey!

    And there’s a funny thing about perseverance and passion, if you stay true to the one you’ll always have the other… just as you said. Keeping faith with your Self and your mission is what it’s all about, for me.

    Warmly… Sharon

  • http://www.questcebu.com Les

    Great thoughts Carey. You have always inspired & encouraged me. Let’s keep on persevering. I can relate there are days that I just don’t “feel it” in ministry. But there are days I don’t “feel it” either in my marriage. Glad I’ve chosen to persevere in those areas and many others.

    Les

  • Art

    Thank you for that, just what I needed to hear. Usually I look online for life’s answers (not the best way), usually thought the answers are unsatisfactory. This was a rare exception.

  • Carey

    Thankful it helped Art.