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In recent weeks I have found myself participating in exercises (both conversational and written) that have really caused me to assess how engaged I might be in the passions of my life. Of course, the challenge sometimes is uncovering the exact nature of those passions.
As a man and a father, I have been wrestling with the concept of “what makes me tick.” Is this even important, and if it is, what kind of responsibility do I have in developing these areas? More importantly, to whom am I responsible? Should I (or we) be overly concerned with the areas of my life that invigorate me? This is especially poignant if our passions take us outside of our normal, everyday routines.
Through contemplation, prayer, and a good deal of Bible study, I have come to a couple of conclusions. The first being that I should be actively seeking and developing these areas of my life. As husbands and fathers, the responsibility to provide and bring our perceived notion of security to the family, is sometimes our only focus. However, if there is little or no attention paid to that which we gravitate towards, then we risk becoming frustrated with our circumstances.
Secondly, I believe that we have a responsibility to both our children and to God to pursue and develop our talents. For instance, my children need to see that dad has been gifted with certain abilities and that it is my responsibility to use them. If we believe that God has given us unique gifts and talents, then we should be relentless in deploying them, both inside and outside the church.
Finally, we need to integrate our talents in to our everyday lives. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that as fathers and husbands, we cannot often afford to leave our families behind when we seek the things we love. So, bring them along! Figure out how to weave your passions in to family activities. Give them a chance to be part of what you love. Although this may not always be possible, or beneficial for that matter, your wife and kids will appreciate the effort.
You never know, your influence may just lead your kids to pursue the passions God has given them instead of the things that society may expect of them.
