Passionate Mom, Purposeful Mom

The passionate mom must also be a purposeful mom.

Passion + Purpose = Plan

These three bricks—passion, purpose, and planning—have a special relationship that can make or break a wall. And, of course, it all starts with passion. Without passion you won’t have the drive to develop a purpose, and if you don’t ever find a purpose, you surely won’t see the need to have a plan.

In my example of defining my purpose, this is how the bricks of passion, purpose, and planning came together:

My Passion: my children
+
My Purpose: training my children to have a faith of their own when they are ready to leave home
=
My Plan: focus on their growth in wisdom, stature, and favor with God and man.

You cannot move on to the plan until you have nailed down your purpose.

Focus Your Passion

Nehemiah had a very narrow focus for his passion—God and the Israelite people. And I can relate. I was exposed to eternity for just a breath of time when my heart stopped, but everything that I loved had time to flash through my mind. God and the people I love: that is all I saw. When your heart stops, your mind will freeze where your heart left off—with those you love.

I don’t really believe you can “love” stuff— houses, careers, money. You may desire it. You may think you love it, but that is your eye trying to trick your heart. When your heart stops, your eyes will close, and what you really love will be as clear as day. That is your real passion.

Nehemiah had passion, and he applied it to his vision and developed a purpose—to protect his people from all harm. Then he added more passion to his purpose and came up with a plan. He refused to be distracted, frightened, or discouraged from the plan to fulfill his purpose. There was opposition, lots of it, and it was not easy, but Nehemiah had focused passion and he was undeterred and overcame all obstacles.

Fix Your Purpose

Nehemiah fixed his purpose—he knew exactly what he needed to do. You have to know your target before you shoot. What are you shooting your child toward? Could it be that failure to launch in young adults is a phenomenon because they never had a target?

It takes great determination to focus your passion and fix your purpose for the duration of your child’s maturation. Unfortunately, there are so many beautiful, fascinating, and downright cool things to take our eyes off what we love. Also, I know many of you not only parent but work and serve others. Your time is limited, and your energy wanes at times, but with determination mixed into the mortar of your wall, you can fix your purpose.

I believe that every mother has passion for her child. Some moms have been distracted from their passion; some are sick or weary and their passion is drained low, but it is in there somewhere. But do we all have a vision of where that passion can carry us, a goal for our child that is so big and intimidating that it is impossible without God? I think we need more moms to ponder, to pray, to catch a vision for their children, to add in more passion and turn the vision into a purpose; then and only then can we turn our purpose into a plan.

If the size of the vision for your life is not intimidating to you, then there is a good chance it is insulting to God. —Steven Furtick

The Passionate Mom Must Have Purpose

As a mom, if you are passionate about your children, then you must have a purpose for your parenting. What core values would you like to instill in your child? What goal would you like to reach as a parent? If you can answer these questions, you can define your purpose—the reason you exist as a parent—and you can determine to fulfill it.

Nehemiah was ready to pursue his life purpose; it was the goal toward which he would relentlessly drive himself. It was a vision of what he had been called to do, and it was enormous and more than anything he probably ever saw himself doing. You cannot lead unless you know where you are going. You have to know your purpose.

Your Turn

Find your purpose. Then and only then, with the target of where you are going clearly in sight, can you begin the plan for your children. A plan that has a purpose bigger than we are. A plan that dares to parent in today’s world. What purpose do you have for your parenting? Perhaps more importantly, what plan do you have to help your children discover their purpose?

Photo by: Angel_a (Photos.com)