A couple of weeks ago, by God’s grace, I was asked to be a presenter at our church’s World Impact Summit, where dozens of organizations came together for the purpose of equipping, growing, and connecting with other like-minded organizations who are literally changing the world. I was humbled to interact with people who are transforming impoverished communities, caring for orphans across the world, giving tangible hope to children and young adults freed from the sex trade, and countless more people making an incredible impact.  What intrigued me the most about this experience was understanding how these people got to where they are. In essence, their stories. The underlying personal stories of the people who started these organizations were deeply meaningful and impactful, and all of them contained common threads of which I started to take notice. Perhaps the biggest common thread was these were people who took a passion and turned it into a purpose.  And in doing that, they are giving God’s people a taste of Heaven on Earth and in many cases, transforming lives. 

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 1:8

Another common thread among those who were running these organizations was humility. Our family was honored to host partners from one of these organizations at our house for the week. It was an organization our family served on a mission trip this past spring. What struck me then, and even now, was the humility with which they approached the work they are doing in a community in Puerto Rico, where they are still recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria. After the hurricane, they dove head first in to help. But sometimes when we dive too fast into something, we can miss some critical details. Now if you’re like me, the last thing you want to be reminded of is your mistakes. Especially when you’re trying to help someone. After all, we all make mistakes, but to be consistently reminded of them? No, thank you. However, in this small town where this organization has spent nearly two years helping to physically rebuild and spiritually grow, sits a beautiful home they built over a year ago. This modest lavender house looks perfectly quaint and habitable. In fact, it was to be someone’s new home. A fresh new space in which to dwell after the hurricane wreaked havoc on the owner’s original house. However, no one is currently living in this beautiful new quaint home. You see, some mistakes were made along the way when they started to rebuild. And through a series of unfortunate events, the home was to be uninhabitable. So instead of tearing it down and starting over, or fixing the problems, it remains as a reminder of the mistakes they made during that first endeavor in that community. Some technical things they neglected to follow up on, but more importantly, the relationships they failed to curate. And they vowed to let the home serve as a permanent reminder so they can avoid the same mistakes in the future. They were also clearly eager to share this story with us when we toured the neighborhood. There was a sense of humility instead of shame. That “reminder of past mistakes” was redeemed. It served as a reminder of how far they have come.

A third common thread was that these individuals were willing to get uncomfortable chasing after their passion. As a matter of fact, they were already uncomfortable because they saw a need, and were not going to be content until they did something about fulfilling it. There were stories of individuals going into dark and hard places to rescue just one. Putting all of their finances on the line to save just one. Moving to a foreign land to make a difference in the life of just one. And in doing so, they affected not just one. Rather, through their obedience, and in some cases mustard seed faith, God is using them to move mountains. 

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Matthew 25:35-40

Trust was yet another common thread among the stories I heard. As illustrated in the earliest times by Abraham, Moses, Paul, and so many other seemingly unqualified people God has called into His work, many of the individuals I met felt quite the same way. They shared that they did not feel uniquely qualified for the work, yet God uniquely qualified them. And with this realization comes trust. Trust that He will equip in ways that are needed and provide what’s needed. These people trusted that the Lord would see them through and enable them to prosper, and it was only by the grace of God they would be successful, and all glory would go to Him. We read about it in the Bible, but it’s a wonderful thing to witness here on Earth. 

And the thread that was most meaningful for me to witness was the joy in the eyes of the people at this conference. People who came from all over the world all had a light and a joy that could only be explained by the Holy Spirit working in them. You see, for many of them, their circumstances are incredibly hard. Many have event dealt with unspeakable trauma. But God. He is a gracious Father who has clearly put a calling on their lives and as they live out that calling, the joy of the Lord is an overflow. 

I share all of this, because it had an impact on me. And not the kind of impact that has me thinking about moving across the world to do God’s work, though if He called me to do that, I’d like to think that I would. Rather, knowing that we have each been called to do His work where we are, I am asking myself these simple questions:

• How can I go about each day turning my passions into purpose (no matter how big or small)? 
• How can I better humble myself each day? 
• Where do I need to get out of my comfort zone to share more of His love and truth? 
• Where am I lacking trust in God? 
• How can I disconnect my joy from my circumstances and connect it to Jesus?

In John 14:12, Jesus assures his disciples, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.” Not only are these people transforming their passion into purpose, but we can also rest in the knowledge of His promises that He has equipped every single one of us to do great things right where we are. His Kingdom come, and His will be done when we take what we’re passionate about and give it to God. And with that, we fulfill our purpose of loving God and loving others through Christ Jesus.

Please pray with me.
Lord, thank You for the work of Your faithful servants who have humbled themselves to trust and follow You. For some of us, You have called us to go far and do Your work; and for many of us, You have called us to be light right where we are—in our homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces. I ask that we all have eyes to see and ears to hear how we can be light. Help me to be Your hands and feet, to humble myself daily, to get out of my comfort zone, to trust You, and to put all my faith in You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.