ENTHUSIASM

Never be lazy in your work but serve the Lord enthusiastically! – Romans 12:11 (Living Bible)

ENTHUSIASM refers to great excitement for or interest in a subject or a cause; ecstasy arising from being possessed by a passion. But it is more than carnal excitement stimulated from outside. Enthusiasm comes from within. Excitement comes from without. Enthusiasm derives from the Latin and Greek words, enthousiasmus and enthousiasmos, and the root, “entheos.” “Theo” is the Greek word for God and “en” means “in” or “within”; hence, enthusiasm speaks of “having God within”! The word “enthusiasm” begins with “en” meaning “inside” while “excitement” begins with “ex” meaning “outside.” The world tries to make us excited – stimulated by external circumstances. God calls us to be enthused – motivated by the Holy Spirit from within. When you allow God to live in you, you’re fired up from within, fired up for Him, ignited for His Glory. Enthusiasm is the energy that builds momentum in the human spirit, soul, and body. That’s why your whole being must be submitted to Him (Rom.12:1-2; Col.3:17,23; 1The.5:23). To be enthused by Him, you must love God wholeheartedly!

Romans 12:11 says, “Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (NKJV). Enthusiasm means to be motivated by God from within by the Holy Spirit. Scripturally speaking, it means that God is working in your life stirring up the desire and enablement you need to please Him (Phil.2:12-13). God wants you to be enthusiastic about your faith and service, and He enables you so to be, for your good and His glory. The rich man in Luke 18:18-22 for example, kept the letter of the Mosaic Law, but lacked one thing – Enthusiasm. His riches were an obstacle that kept God out. He refused to be ignited and was unwilling to do what it took to let God in. If you want to be truly fired up for God, you must eliminate all barriers, and let Him in. Allow Him to saturate your entire being for His Glory. He wants you to be on fire for His work, giving with passion, devoting time to energetic Study of the Word, dedicated to Praise and Prayer, and enthused to share and win souls to Christ!

The notion of “enthusiasm” is captured by such words as “wholeheartedness”, “zeal”, “fervency”, and “spiritual fervor.”  The opposites are: lethargy, lukewarmness, and half-heartedness. Ecclesiastes 9:10a counsels: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might…” Jesus modelled enthusiasm: “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work” (Jh.9:4). So did Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, who by zeal obtained a covenant of everlasting priesthood (Num.25:6-13). Paul was enthusiastic: “…being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers” (Gal.1:14). Naturally, some people seem to be born with a greater capacity for enthusiasm than others, but this virtue can be developed by focusing your mind upon your God-given goal until the attainment of that goal becomes your “Inspired Obsession.” Think of a musician so engrossed in practice or a student in study, that they forget to have their meals!

Enthusiasm is the power-plant that fuels the human engine to keep running; the power-house from which you can draw to maintain Peak Performance perpetually. You will rarely succeed at anything unless you have fun doing it. Although enthusiasm energizes, no one can make you enthusiastic if the inspiration does not come from within. John Wesley, when asked why multitudes came to hear him preach simply said, “I set myself on fire and people come to watch me burn.” Norman Vincent Peale said: “Life’s blows cannot break a person whose spirit is warmed at the Fire of Enthusiasm.” William Arthur Ward describes enthusiasm as: “an Inner Fire that fuels the furnace of Achievement.” He also said: “Enthusiasm and Persistence can make an average person superior; Indifference and Lethargy can make a superior person average.” Both enthusiasm and pessimism are contagious. How much of each do you spread?