Before you can tackle any problem, you have to know the depth and the breadth of the problem.  You have to know what you are dealing with.  Have you ever tried to fix something and realized as you got into fixing it that you quickly were over your head with other problems?

I remember being at my moms house and saw that a drain pipe in the bathroom sink was leaking.  I had fixed sink drains many times before so I thought no big deal.  I can fix it.  What I didn’t realize at the time is that when I began to get into the project the pipes were corroded and very thin.  I mean very thin.  You get the picture.  As I put a wrench on the pipe to loosen it things began to break.  I realized rather quickly that I was in over my head.  I needed a professional plumber’s help.  I hadn’t adequately surveyed the problem before I began the project.

When Nehemiah grabbed ahold of his passion to help his people be build their city, he needed to survey the problem so that he could adequately convey the passion and how to fix the problem.  “I set out during the night with a few others. I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on. By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire. Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King’s Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall. Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate. The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work.”  Nehemiah‬ ‭2:12-16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Nehemiah, as he surveyed the problem, realized the enormity of the task so that he could invest his passion in the lives of others.  On this journey make sure that the passion you have is followed by some time to see the problems associated with your passion.  Understanding what needs to be done will help you succeed in your passion.