Many years go, at the tender age of nineteen, I attended a public speaking presentation.
The speaker spoke with passion on the topic of enthusiasm. He encouraged us to find a simple task during the week and tackle it with five times more enthusiasm, energy and focus. I decided that our badly stained bath tub needed a deep clean and taking a rather potent detergent, I zealously threw myself into this little project with all the might I could muster. Besides being totally exhausted, I felt a sense of real accomplishment as I saw the expression of surprise and delight on my mothers face when she came home to a sparkling white bath tub.
I learned a simple yet profound principle at this early stage in my life which stood me in good stead in the years that followed. Solomon encourages us to cultivate this quality in the book of Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do – do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working, nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.
Here we are inspired to pour our heart and soul into all our endeavours and activities. Its about living life to the full as Jesus so aptly says in John 10:10: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
Enthusiasm comes from the two Greek words, Theos which means God and En which means in. Thus, En-theos-ism literally means to be filled with God.
The gospel writer Mark tells us: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength (Mark 12:30). There is a divine essence to this quality that is raised to exciting new heights when you allow the stream of Gods love to take root in your life. Divine enthusiasm will bring a radiance, joy and quality to your life that will give momentum to everything you do, whether it be in relationships, your job, your interests and more importantly your intimacy with the triune God.
Norman Vincent Peale said: Years wrinkle the skin, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Ralph Waldo Emerson noted that Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.
Well known author and inspirational speaker Brian Tracy says: When you start doing what you love to do, youll never work another day in your life.
Enthusiasm comes naturally when you are involved in doing what you really love to do. Most men and women who have led fulfilled and successful lives have discovered a field where their natural strengths and abilities are exactly what is required to do the job, and have achieved exceptional results. Such people feel they have never worked a day in their lives.
Take time out to reflect on what you really enjoy doing. Bring God into the very centre of your being and ask Him to help you discover a gift or field in which you can flourish a job or area of endeavour that completely fascinates you and will be a natural expression of your unique God given talents.
When you are doing what you love to do, it will bring a continuous flow of excitement, energy, and ideas to do what you do with an extraordinary touch of excellence. Paul inspires us in the New Living translation to Work hard and cheerfully at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Lets become enthusiastic instruments in Gods hands and embrace a Christ led En-theos-ism in all our activities.
Enthusiasm is contagious and inspires all those around you, family, friends and colleagues. Take the initiative and let the excitement begin! As author Arnold H. Glasow stated Success isnt about spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire!
Be a thermostat that sets the temperature, not a thermometer that simply registers the temperature around you.
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