Every leader experiences low points. There will be ministry seasons when the passion fades. The initial stages of your passion slip will be subtle, so it’s important to discern the warning signs before discontent takes permanent residence. Here are five signs that your passion is fading. If you are experiencing too many of these—it’s time to act.
1. Ministry feels more like a CHORE than a CALLING.
The passion is fading when it’s difficult to get excited about your ministry. Projects and tasks become monotonous. They feel more like obstacles rather than opportunities to make a difference. When ministry becomes an obligation, it’s time to get back to the heart of why you entered ministry.
2. You become easily drained by people.
Another indicator of decreased passion is an increase with impatience with other people. A deflated ball just doesn’t bounce well, and neither will you when you are running low on passion. A lowered tolerance unfairly transforms annoying interactions into devastating exchanges.
> Questions are seen as criticism
> Personality quarks become character flaws
> Minor mistakes are inflated into major catastrophes
People shouldn’t be a drain on our ministry, people are our ministry.
3. Growing bitterness and resentment.
You know you’re moving close to the passionless edge when invisible tally marks build up in your heart. A heart without passion categorizes all the wrongs committed against you. The pure joy that comes from a passionate heart tends to look past wrongs. A passionate person shows grace to others… when we start keeping score, it’s a sure sign that we’re beginning to wander from our path.
4. Fatal Fatigue.
Even passionate leaders eventually tire. There’s “normal tired” and a deeper weariness that casts a dark shadow over our hearts. We call “fatal fatigue,” an exhaustion mixed with feelings of insignificance and despair. When we’re regularly tired and wondering, “Does what I do even matter?,” this is a strong indicator that something is going wrong and an important feeling to pay attention to.
5. More distracted than usual.
Without passion, filtering excess noise and trying to focus on what’s important becomes very difficult. Passionate leaders are typically highly focused on what matters most. In fact, passionless people are easily distracted because they are looking for anything that may add some excitement.
NOW WHAT?
If you recognize some of these signs within your own life, don’t despair! YOU AREN’T ALONE. Every veteran leader has been here before!
Use this season as a new way to trust God. There are some things that only God can do in our lives when our passion fades. Connect with a trusted friend and get honest about how you are feeling. Their support and perspective can be a game changer. Take the time to reflect and gain new insights about who God designed you to be. Maybe you have stopped doing some of the things you really love about ministry… and it’s time for you to return to some forgotten habits. Perhaps God is birthing a new passion in your life, and it’s time for you to discern what that might be.
It would be a major mistake to deny your feelings and bury your head in the sand. It’s time to see where God is working in your life. It’s not time to work harder and achieve more… even if you are externally successful, it will only increase your internal emptiness.
If you are in a season where your passion is fading, let’s connect! I’d love to help you rediscover your “first love” so you can passionately serve God again.
