Would you describe yourself as an "enthusiastic" person? Can you grow in Christian enthusiasm even if you are not an "extroverted" person? Should you?
Enthusiasm is often misunderstood. Some think of enthusiasm as simply being a "cheerleader"— a "rah-rah" type of person making a lot of noise and chatter! While enthusiasm may sometimes involve clapping, cheering and other outward signs, it often does not—and often involves much more! Properly understood, enthusiasm is vital to our lives as Christians, and we should all aspire to grow in Christian enthusiasm.
Successful people in the world have often described enthusiasm as one of the essential elements for success. Even secular leaders have learned the importance of enthusiasm in motivation and leadership. Without enthusiasm to see a task through, our talent, ability, opportunity and wealth mean nothing.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, a poet and philosopher living in the early 1800s, said: "Every great and commanding movement in the annals of the world is the triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it." Charles Schwab, president of Carnegie Steel and U.S. Steel in the late 1800s, said: "A man can succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm."
Anyone familiar with the legendary American football coach, Vince Lombardi, will recognize his tongue-in-cheek motivational style in his famous statement: "If you aren't fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm!"
How enthusiastic are we in our daily lives, and in our walk with Christ? Are we as enthusiastic as King David? This son of Jesse was truly an enthusiastic person. Scripture shows us how David was enthusiastic when he personally accompanied the ark of God on its return from the house of Obed-Edom. As he entered the city of David at the head of this procession, David was so overwhelmed with joy and excitement that he and the other Israelites danced—with all their might! "So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. And as the ark of the Lord came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and whirling before the Lord" (2 Samuel 6:15–16). David was truly enthusiastic in his relationship with God.
But was David only showing enthusiasm by jumping around, shouting and whirling? His leaping and shouting were not the totality of his enthusiasm—anyone can leap and shout just as a result of stubbing a toe! It was not so much David's activity as his attitude that made him enthusiastic.
Enthusiasm for the Work
Later in life, David was just as enthusiastic about preparing raw materials for the work of the temple. "Then David said, 'This is the house of the Lord God'… So David commanded to gather the aliens who were in the land of Israel; and he appointed masons to cut hewn stones to build the house of God. And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails of the doors of the gates and for the joints, and bronze in abundance beyond measure, and cedar trees in abundance… Now David said, 'Solomon my son is young and inexperienced, and the house that is to be built for the Lord must be exceedingly magnificent, famous and glorious throughout all countries. I will now make preparation for it.'' So David made abundant preparations before his death" (1 Chronicles 22:1–5).
When David understood that it would not be his job to build the temple, he nevertheless endeavored to play at least a supporting role by preparing raw materials—and he prepared enthusiastically until his death! In his enthusiasm for God's work, David gathered "one hundred thousand talents of gold and one million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond measure" (v. 14)—a tremendous sum even today!
Supporting the work by quietly laboring, even in a supporting role, takes effort and enthusiasm. Why? Because enthusiasm is more than a particular activity— it is a state of heart. Solomon, David's son, saw in his father an outstanding example of this character trait, and wrote this timeless advice: "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going" (Ecclesiastes 9:10).
Do we bring enthusiasm to everything we do in life? Enthusiasm truly is a key to success—especially to spiritual success.
Enthusiasm in Giving
The Apostle Paul understood the need for enthusiasm in many different aspects of our lives. He wrote part of his second letter to the Corinthians to commend them for their enthusiasm in giving—and to prod them to keep it up! "Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you; for I know your willingness, about which I boast of you to the Macedonians, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal has stirred up the majority" (2 Corinthians 9:1–2). The Christians at Corinth were showing their enthusiasm by being willing to give, and they were also stirring up others' zeal!
Paul continued: "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:6–7).
God is not trying to squeeze every penny He can out of you and me. He is changing our hearts so that we tithe and give offerings voluntarily and heartily—even cheerfully.
What good would it do for God to have billions of sons and daughters who would grudgingly and grumblingly obey, but would "drag their feet" all the way? God is indeed teaching us to obey Him, but—just as importantly— He is teaching us to enjoy obeying Him!
This is not always easy. When we come face to face with our carnal nature, it is not fun or comfortable to admit we are wrong, or to let go of our disobedience. It is hard to be cheerful in such a circumstance, yet we are called to strive for that high and difficult standard—not just compliance, but cheerful obedience, even when it hurts.
Parents need to teach this to their children. It is not enough for siblings to "say" that they are sorry when they hurt or offend a brother or sister. They must genuinely mean it! And parents can usually tell whether their children truly "mean it" or not, by observing their body language and tone of voice. Is God any different? Can He not read us better than we can read our children? Is He pleased by half-hearted compliance, or is He seeking wholehearted and cheerful obedience in us in all our giving, including our tithing and giving offerings?
Enthusiasm in Service
In his first epistle, the Apostle Peter explained a vital principle of enthusiasm. Though it was written primarily for leaders in the Church, we can all apply it to ourselves, whether or not we are in the ministry: "Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly" (1 Peter 5:2). The word "willingly" can mean "voluntarily." Do we step forward when there is a need in our local congregation? Are we eager to sign up when there is a call for volunteers to help in a particular area? Are we observant, even without being asked, to see the needs in our local congregation, and to think of (or suggest) ways to step in and help? If we do volunteer, do we show up on time, every time?
Enthusiasm is not just being a "flash in the pan." Enthusiasm is often best displayed by a slow and steady effort, maintained over a long stretch of time. Our goal is not just to be enthusiastic for 30 minutes, or 30 days—or even 30 years. Our goal is to be enthusiastic and excited about God's way of life for all eternity! Our enthusiasm is to be a consistent and long-term commitment! We must never think that steady and quiet service behind the scenes does not require enthusiasm. In one sense, it takes more enthusiasm to maintain steady and consistent effort over the long haul. Many brethren in our local congregations show this consistent enthusiasm, and it is of inestimable value.
Enthusiasm in Church Attendance
Another simple way of expressing our enthusiasm for God and His way of life is simply by showing up to Sabbath services! "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24–25).
It requires effort and sacrifice simply to come to Sabbath services. With rising gas prices, long drives and smaller congregations than in the past, some can become discouraged and stop attending regularly. However, Hebrews shows how vitally important it is that we do come to services regularly, even if it is difficult—especially as the end nears. We need to "stir up love" in each other. That word means to "sharpen" or "incite." One of the reasons we come to Sabbath services is to help increase others' enthusiasm and our own, simply by being there and fellowshipping!
How many times have you arrived at Sabbath services feeling tired, run-down and weary, yet by the time you left you were encouraged, excited and energized—ready to tackle the world again? A big part of that comes from just rubbing shoulders with brethren, absorbing others' enthusiasm. We need each other, and it is a great blessing when we can be with our spiritual family each week.
There are appropriate reasons to stay home from services, such as having a contagious or chronic illness. But we should not let an occasional emergency become a pattern just because we find it more comfortable. If we begin to waver in our Church attendance, our Christian enthusiasm will suffer. The more we stay home from services, the weaker our enthusiasm will be, the less resolve we will have and the more the cares of this life and the world will weigh us down. We will become easier targets for Satan to attack, because our defenses will be down.
"Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward… 'Now the just shall live by faith; but if anyone draws back [begins to wane in his enthusiasm], my soul has no pleasure in him.' But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul" (Hebrews 10:35–39).
Enthusiasm under Duress
We need to retain our enthusiasm, even when we endure trials. In fact, our enthusiasm is a key to enduring our trials! Winston Churchill said: "Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm!" It is enthusiasm that will keep us going and pull us through, even when the road is hard and our load is heavy.
Proverbs 17:22 says: "A merry [or enthusiastic] heart does good, like medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones." In Proverbs 18:14, we find: "The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?" We must carefully nurture and cultivate enthusiasm in our lives—it is what will sustain us in trials— especially if it is enthusiasm for God's way, driven by a vision of God's plan for us.
But how do we get this kind of enthusiasm? If we are searching not for superficiality, but for an enthusiasm of the heart, from where does it come? How can we begin to develop real enthusiasm—for the Work, for giving and serving, for supporting one another and for worshiping God—that will sustain us for all eternity? We must go to the source.
That source of genuine godly enthusiasm is the Creator of the universe, Himself! After all, God was pleased with His creation—He said "it was good"—and He is excited about His laws, His ways and the fruits they produce. He is especially thrilled about having Spirit-born human beings join His family for all eternity!
Growing in genuine Christian enthusiasm requires tapping into the source—God and Jesus Christ—more deeply and profoundly, for they have enthusiasm and zeal that literally moves the world! Regarding Jesus Christ's place in the expansion of God's Kingdom throughout the universe, Isaiah wrote: "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6–7).
When God is excited about getting something done, it gets done! Would you like to tap into the zeal of God in your life, in a more profound way than ever before? Would you like to have more of His thoughts, His mind and His excitement about life?
You can! In fact, this is what God wants for us. Interestingly, the word "enthusiasm" itself contains a key to growing in this vital character trait. The word "enthusiasm" comes from the Greek "en" (meaning "in" or "within") and "theos" (meaning "God"). Yes, even the word "enthusiasm" itself has to do with God living in us! The more God lives in us—the more we have His mind and thoughts—the more we are excited about what He is excited about, and the more we experience true, Christian enthusiasm.
When encouraging Timothy to use the Spirit of God—and therefore the mind of God—Paul exhorted him to "stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:6–7). God's Spirit, if we use it, can help us have less fear—and more enthusiasm!
In his letter to the Philippians, Paul encouraged the brethren to "have the same mind." However, they were not to have just any mind—they were to have God's mind. "Fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind… Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God…" (Philippians 2:2–6). It was the joy set before Jesus Christ that enabled Him to humble Himself to the point of crucifixion (Hebrews 12:2). That joy—or enthusiasm—for God's plan sustained Jesus in the worst trial of His life. We, too, can have His joy and enthusiasm, through His Spirit in us, to sustain us in our darkest trials.
Paul wrote much about suffering, and about maintaining our enthusiasm while we suffer. His life was a living testimony to the enthusiasm we can have when Christ is living in us. Paul wrote: "If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit [which] bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:10–11, 16–18).
Paul displayed genuine Christian enthusiasm. He knew the future awaiting the saints of God, a future next to which any suffering in this life seemed insignificant by comparison! Paul was excited about reigning with Christ in His Kingdom, and this excitement helped him endure seemingly unbearable trials. If we really seek God, He will help us have a perspective like Paul's—positive, forward-looking, upbeat and enthusiastic.
As we draw near to the end of this age, religious activism is on the rise. Sectarian violence fills the daily news, as old religious differences boil over into dangerous fanaticism. We know that Bible prophecy foretells a "Christian" fanatical movement in the end-time—led by the beast and the false prophet—which will enforce the worship of a false god (Revelation 13:11–15). We also know that the final era of God's Church—Laodicea—will be noted for its predominantly lukewarm attitude (Revelation 3:14–19), characterized by a waning of genuine enthusiasm.
Against this backdrop of extremes, Jesus Christ is issuing a call to us. It is a call for balanced, obedient, and godly enthusiasm for His way, His laws and His plan, with the help of His Holy Spirit. This approach should be evident in many areas of our life—our focus on His Work, our enthusiasm in giving and serving, our Sabbath attendance and even our endurance in trials. Remember that Jesus Himself has admonished our generation to maintain our enthusiasm: "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly! Hold fast what you have that no one may take your crown" (Revelation 3:10–11).