Enthusiasm (En Theos) – part 1

“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.” Colossians 3:23 (HCSB).

Oliver Wendell Holmes, who was an associate justice of the supreme court of the USA  said, “It’s faith in something and enthusiasm for something that makes life worth living.” Henry David Thoreau, an American essayist, poet, and philosopher said, “Enthusiasm is a supernatural serenity.”

Interestingly, do you know the word enthusiasm comes from the Greek word, “Entheos”? En Theos means God within. Understanding this fact Earl Nightingale, an American radio speaker and author said, “the happiest, most interesting people are those who have found the secret of maintaining their enthusiasm, that God within.” Indeed, it is not just faith in something, but it is the faith in God that produces true enthusiasm and makes life worth living.

We live in a culture where positive thinking is emphasized a lot. It says you need to think positively always. However, the truth is this- just positive thinking would not make you an enthusiastic person. Enthusiasm means something inspiring inside you or a strong excitement feeling. Of course, positive thinking people are generally more successful than negatively oriented people. Reading books that promote an optimistic thinking style would also not be just enough, although it helps.

If you want to enjoy real and genuine enthusiasm, as the Greek root word reveals, you must have God in you. When you have God in you, you will become enthusiastic in whatever you do and whatever role you find yourself in.

When nations and communities take God out of their schools, colleges, and societies, the real passion and enthusiasm in whatever you do eventually fade away. Life becomes dull, discouraged, and depressed. The immediately preceding context of today’s Bible verse gives a little bit more colorful background to today’s insight. Verse 18-22 says, “Wives, be submissive to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and don’t be bitter toward them.  Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.  Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.  Slaves, obey your human masters in everything. Don’t work only while being watched, in order to please men, but work wholeheartedly, fearing the Lord.”

Then our today’s Bible insight comes- as wives, husbands, children, fathers, employees, whatever role you find yourselves in life-“Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically, as something done for the Lord and not for men.”

Your enthusiasm comes from the fact that is described in the first four verses of this chapter. It says, “You have been raised to life with Christ, so set your hearts on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God.  Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. Your real life is Christ, and when he appears, then you too will appear with him and share his glory.” You have divine enthusiasm inside you because you have Christ inside you. Once your spirit was dead toward God. Now because you believed in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, your dead spirit became alive. You are not walking dead anymore. You are walking in a full life with God because God is inside you.

Beloved, if you do not have God in your life, you can step out of your dull and hopeless life and step into the excitement and passion that He provides no matter what the circumstances are.  It is possible because the sin issue that separated you from God was removed by Jesus Christ, the savior of the world. Jesus paid all your sins by his sinless and divine blood. Now you can get connected to God and have him inside you when you repent of your sins and invite Jesus Christ into your life by prayer.

Got a moment for today’s prayer? Father in heaven, having you in my life is the source of my enthusiasm. Now, help me Lord to do whatever I do with eagerness and passion as if I am doing it to you. May I do my daily tasks with my whole heart because not to man but you, I am doing. In the name of Christ, I pray. Amen.”