Reclaiming Your Passion Part 2 Series

Movie Clip: LION KING – IDENTITY AS GOD’S CHILD - A young lion runs away after

being led to believe he is to blame for his father’s death. As such he is refusing to return as the

new new king who could help his fellow clan to battle their now impending enemy. In this scene

the rather strange baboon character leads him to face his call. He sees a vision of his father in the

sky in which the father concludes by repeating, “Remember who you are.” (Citation: The Lion

King (Disney, 1994), rated G, written by Jim Capobianco, directed by Roger Allers and Rob

Minkoff)

While this movie – The Lion King – may have been given a lot of levity and lightness for

children… the underlying story is rather poignant.

It told of a son who wanted to wander off beyond the boundaries his father had told him were

safe… the trouble and cost that he realizes… as his father is killed trying to save him… and

wandering off again… only this time in shame.

He meets a couple creatures who try to face their hardship with a ‘Don’t worry – be happy’

motto… joins them in trying to forget his past… to escape the responsibility that he feels he has

forever failed at. (Sound familiar?)

It’s at this point… that one leads him to face his higher calling.

He is lead to hear father’s voice once again… to remember who he is… whose image he bears.

> It is his destiny being reclaimed.

And so at a point in history… Christ came to reclaim our destinies… by providing for the

forgiveness of our failures and wanderings… and freeing us / allowing us… to hear the Father’s

voice again…

The father never addresses the failure…but in the calling itself lies forgiveness… and a

freedom to return to who he truly was meant to be.

Father never lets the son discuss his failure… perhaps that sounds familiar… just like how Jesus

described our own way back to the father. In the parable of the Prodigal Son… the father

interrupts the confession.

> Why… because the father knows when one is already aware of their failure…

but also because the ultimate issue is about embracing your true identity…

home.

It’s connecting / reconnecting to that identity… destiny… that gives life it’s true passion…

energy… enduring determination

Up until that point, Simba had approached life as mere duty… but now he filled with desire.

In that he imparts his own passion… as the true son…

Re-state a definition of passion that I’m referring to…

Passion is the energizing flow that comes from connection to a desire that

transcends duty.

Passion is energizing. Everything in life takes a certain amount of energy… but what you do that

you find passion in… gives you back energy.

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It’s a determination … and drive… that runs beneath the surface of our activity.

Duty and desire are not intended to be opposites. They are bound together. Passion

flows when duty is infused with desire.

Jesus restores the wholeness… gives

Hebrews 12:1-3 (NIV)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw

off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with

perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and

perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its

shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who

endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose

heart.

> Don’t grow weary… don’t lose passion !

These words are written to lives who knew the challenge of maintaining passion amidst

hardship.

It’s saying to us… “Look at those who have succeeded… they kept a hold despite what they

couldn’t see.” Pinnacle of all focus is on Christ… who revealed life with the power of destiny.

I want to continue to consider how we can discover and develop the true sense of passion… that

can energize our lives…

Three aspects… and offer some questions that will help you think about your own process

finding passion… of growing to enjoy that energizing flow of a desire that transcends duty.

Christ imparts a passion in life that is ultimately…

1. More defined by the future than the past.

Was the passion… energizing determination in Christ defined by the shame he bore (which

was our own) … or the future at hand?

> The future… ‘the joy set before him’… his ultimate destiny.

Like Simba… we can all become aware of our flaws and failures… acutely aware… and

wander off in shame. Like the Prodigal… we head off for a distant country… where like