Doing the Things You Love

I love gardening. It's creative. It's solitary. It's tangible and measurable (I can tell immediately if I have been successful). I also love discipleship. It's relational. It's eternal. It's world-changing.

I think it is important to do the things you love. It is awesome when you can make a living at doing the things you love. Sometimes you can make a good living at it. And sometimes you can just make a little extra at it. But sometimes the things you love don't offer an opportunity to earn anything. I think you should still do them. Somehow do them.

You see, I believe that the things we love reveal part (maybe just a small part) of our purpose in this life.

Look at Psalm 37 - Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

There has long been discussion about the word "of" in this passage. You see, in some contexts the word used for "of" can be translated "for". And since this context leaves the possibility that "for" could be appropriate, the question of translation remains. That little change from "of" to "for" does change the meaning significantly.

I lean toward the translation that God gives us the desires FOR our heart. I lean this way, primarily because it fits the whole of what God teaches us in the scripture much better. And many people live their lives for God without the desires of their hearts ever being fulfilled.

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?

That is Jeremiah 17:9. And here the prophet of God teaches us that we should not trust our own heart and its desires. Now, if we put both of these verses together (with the translation "for") we can learn something. God puts things in our hearts when we make Him our delight. When we shun the delights of our fallen human heart and allow God to put new desires in our hearts, we can find God's will revealed.

And so.... I think we who love the Lord with all of our heart, mind, and strength should pay careful attention to the things we love, AND DO THEM. Ohhh, and remember to "do everything as unto the Lord." Whether you can be paid to do it or not, make sure that you do the things you love out of delight in the Lord, and to Him, and for His kingdom.

So, discipleship and relationships that reach toward God together are part of my profession and I love doing that for God. And gardening is part of my personal devotional life. The garden is often where I pray, reflect, meditate on the word, and listen to God. And in both ways I can find my purpose in this life.

So what about you? What do you love? And how can you do what you love for God?