Defining Passion and Compassion

Contributor: Wyatt Thompson

This week, I and my Odyssey Connections peers read in Called to Lead by John MacArthur that passion is an essential leadership trait.  In our conversation, we compared passion with compassion and developed a stronger understanding of leadership.  As this took place on Valentine’s Day, this was a very fitting conversation.

What Is Passion?

When I think of passion, I think of intense love for someone or something that involves a determination to achieve an end goal.  Additionally, I think of inspiring excitement in others that matches my level of enthusiasm.

Webster's Dictionary 1828 defines passion as “The impression or effect of an external agent upon a body; that which is suffered or received.”  Additionally, passion comes from the Latin word “passio” which means “suffer.”  In biblical leadership, passion is suffering for others.  It is rooted in a determination to lead people to Jesus by sacrificing time and resources for them.

What is Compassion?

When I think of compassion, I think of extending grace and mercy.  Rather than trying to get someone to feel what I am feeling, compassion is about feeling what others feel.

According to Webster's Dictionary 1828, compassion is “A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another.”  In biblical leadership, compassion is suffering with others.  It is rooted in a determination to lead people to Jesus by personally connecting with them.

How Jesus Models Them

Jesus has passion for me.  He suffered death on a cross and separation from His Father so that I would not have to suffer and be separated from the Father.  He did this out of intense love for me, a love that I will never fully understand.  The definition is twofold.  Jesus suffered the pains inflicted on Him and Jesus influences me with His generous love.

When I first watched the movie The Passion of the Christ, I thought passion was a rather strange way to describe the Crucifixion.  My error was that I improperly defined passion.  Without realizing that it is an expression of intense love, it is easy to define passion simply as an extreme affection.  Thinking about passion in terms of suffering puts it in a much clearer context.

Jesus also has compassion for me.  He knows my suffering because He lived a human life.  Moreover, He understands my pains and struggles.  Since He endured the wrath of God, He knows what they feel like, even though they are a fraction of what He experienced.

Applying Them

As a biblical leader, I must approach my work with my heart postured toward Christ.  I must be cautious of the things about which I am passionate.  What I might think is passion is just excitement or anger that is ultimately not rooted in Christ.

The person who is detached is no true leader.  All leaders must have passion, and spiritual leaders especially must be driven by an intense passion for the truth, as well as a deep, fervent, and abiding love for Christ. – John MacArthur, Called to Lead

In turn, I will be motivated to extend sacrificial love and do His will, whether that is shepherding a lost family member or enduring through a college class that will equip me for my calling.  Moreover, God will soften my heart to experience what others are suffering and guide them through their distress.