The Winning Heart: 7 Heart Expressions to Become a Winner on the Field and in LifeSample

Heart Expression Five: Passion

Playing competitive sports brings out a wide range of strong emotions. When an athlete makes a great play or a team has a game-winning play, you can witness the emotion in their celebration. We see their emotion even when the play doesn’t go their way, and they lose. We all have emotions on the field, and winners use their emotions to drive them towards success. A winning athlete or team derives their emotion from their passion for the game.

Passion is the firm belief in and affection towards something that makes a person’s soul come alive. Their passion for the game drives them to put in the extra work, preparation, and sacrifices required to win. Without passion, a person will go through the motions, eventually experiencing boredom and dissatisfaction with what they do. An athlete’s passion is the fire of The Winning Heart.

The apostle Paul says, “For this reason, I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” (2 Timothy 1:6)

Paul emphasizes two items about our passion.

1) We ALL have gifts that bring us life.

2) You need to ignite passion for the gifts you have been given.

The phrase “fan into flame” refers to building a fire. Fire symbolizes passion burning in you. When you invest time and effort into perfecting your gifts, you unlock a passion that leads to a life of fulfillment and purpose. God designed us to have passionate hearts expressed through our gifts and to use them to the best of our ability. Steve Prefontaine, the greatest American long-distance runner, said, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” When you are on or off the field, play with passion. Give it everything you've got and enjoy the process, win or lose.

How do we ignite passion in our hearts? Real passion starts with a grateful heart towards God. Recognize and thank God for the gifts and blessings He has given you. Let God's love and grace ignite your passion for everything life offers. Refuse to settle for anything less than God's absolute best for you. Then, bring your passion into all aspects of your life, such as school, family, work, hobbies, and church. Living with passion drives us to live at our best and energizes the people around us. Passionate people make an impact on the world around them.

Final Thoughts:

What would it be if you could choose to do anything for the rest of your life?

Why did you choose this?

What gifts and opportunities has God given you that you can be passionate about?

What can you do today to help ignite a passion for your gifts and opportunities?