“Enthusiasm without knowledge is no good; haste makes mistakes.” Proverbs 19:2 NLT
I would think that passion makes the world go around. However, without a deep understanding of a problem, the history of its journey and the people involved, change will not take place. The new phrase is “change comes at the speed of trust,” but relationships, good feels and passion won’t give a solution or an idea enough traction for the long-haul known as deep change.
Passion does inspire. Passion, or enthusiasm (Greek: in God, filled with God) gives hope and lifts the soul to perk up and see a preferred future. But, without a plan, or knowledge as the wisdom writers put it, I find no path, no roadmap of where all the excitement is supposed to lead.
I Imagine a track star shooting off the starting block to race towards the finish line only to find there is no finish line, no track, no path. Instead she just runs in competitive fashion, filled with heightened adrenaline-fueled passion with no direction at all! The track, the route, the path and most importantly, the finish line IS the well marked plan, with a photo-finish ending. With no knowledge, no plan, it just results in wandering and possibly getting lost.
The Hebrew word for enthusiasm here is nephesh: a feminine noun. Meaning a soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, or emotion. And the Hebrew word for mistakes is chata: to miss, go wrong, sin.
Prayer
Dad,
I would like both please! Knowledge and passion. I love the energy of passion that drives the clarity of knowledge or a plan. I want both because I need both. I would also love it if you could throw in wisdom, which James says I lack because I don’t ask. I am asking for wisdom as well. These are the things necessary for me to lead. Not just my life, but those you have called me to shepherd to, to care for and love. Help me get them where you want us to go and to be who you want us to be along the way. Thank you in advance.