Enthusiasm

I watched my grandson yesterday at his five-year-old birthday party, and he was excited. He had enough exhilaration for the whole family. Enthusiasm is contagious, you want to get on board when you see it. Enthusiasm is a strong excitement of feeling. We describe people who are serious about their work as people who do their job with enthusiasm. The kind of passion I am referring to embraces life itself—not from a selfish point of view but from the viewpoint of a disciple of Christ. Is it possible, however, to maintain an enthusiasm for your entire life? The answer is an emphatic yes!

The Bible is full of people who enthusiastically followed Christ no matter what the cost. Hebrews names many of them,  Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, they saw God shut the mouths of lions, quench the fury of the flames, rout entire armies. Many of these faithful men and women while refusing to allow their enthusiasm to wane were tortured, jeered and flogged. The writer says “the world was not worthy of them” (Hebrews 11:32-38).

How do we live this Christian life and maintain our enthusiasm for the Gospel while facing trials and tribulations like these heroes of the faith? The answer is the same way they did. They were committed to serving God no matter what the cost.

They were people who were genuinely enthused about a purpose bigger than themselves. They saw something beyond a self-focused life. This is an enthusiasm for Christ and the Gospel, and it is sustained over a lifetime. Nothing is more disappointing to an employer to see a new employee lose their energy for the job during their first month. Could this be how God feels when he sees our enthusiasm wane for the Great Commission? We are surrounded by people who are searching for something, but they don’t know what they are looking for. The longing for true spiritual satisfaction goes unfulfilled as people race about trying to find happiness in all the wrong places. Jesus is the only person who can satisfy our spiritual thirst.

We live in a culture of instant gratification where no one is willing to wait. The mentality is “I want my happiness now! People buy what they cannot pay for looking for recognition but only find the futility of worthless things. People jump into relationships without commitment wanting enduring love but only find momentary pleasure. The longing deep down inside is for something more—something greater. Jesus is what people long for but don’t know it. He said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him" (John 7:37). That is true satisfaction!

Gratitude

John Newton, a former slave dealer and despicable person, was transformed by the grace of God. He became a pastor and song writer. His songs and writing portray his enormous gratitude to God. We see that gratitude in his remarkable hymn “Amazing Grace.” Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come; 'Tis grace has brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.

John Newton wrote his own obituary, and it reflects his deep gratitude to God: John Newton, Clerk, once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa, was, by the rich mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long labored to destroy.^[i]

We see people completely ungrateful for what they have. There are so many who have enjoyed abundance and have lived their whole life without experiencing want. They have lacked nothing and yet have no idea of the fortune they have enjoyed. Unfortunately, they have never seen how most of the world actually lives. They are like spoiled and overindulged children and actually believe they deserve this kind of life and even expect it. As a result, this young American generation is angry and ungrateful. Far too many have a "poor me'" mentality causing them to appreciate nothing. They have no regard for family and friends and do not consider God as the source of their blessings. They are petty because they are focused only on their own needs.

Ungratefulness, though it has always been present, seems to be rampant more than ever throughout our culture, and Christians are not immune to this attitude. The apostle Paul aptly describes it this way: “There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”(2 Tim 3:1-4).

The three things that we see tearing our families and even our entire nation apart are described in these words: Narcissism, which is simply an obsessive love of self. Materialism, which is simply the neurotic addiction for things. Lastly, Hedonism, which is the compulsive pursuit for pleasure. However, none of those things ever really satisfy the deep longing in the soul. That and that alone comes from God. When we really meet him the way that John Newton did, we are transformed by his grace. God will do that for anyone who will simply acknowledges their need.

It is so hard to fight the urge to be praised by others. Some people develop an addiction for this, and it becomes an obsession. We then try the same thing with God, but how foolish we are when we do that. God is not impressed by our deeds, but he is moved when we acknowledge our need. Our greatest need is our need of him!

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[i] R.T. Kendall, Just Say Thanks, Lake Mary, Fl, Charisma House, 2005 pp. 25-26.