Thank God for these people!

These people comprise the heartbeat of the kingdom of God.

Who are they?

They are the “cheerleaders” for Jesus Christ, those men and women who possess, and heartily express, a great enthusiasm for our Savior and the kingdom of God.

These are the men and women who are always encouraging and challenging us to pour out our entire lives for the cause of Christ, to live lives wholly devoted to God, and to be entirely consumed with following in the footsteps of Jesus.

In spite of how greatly and aggressively the mass of the church pushes back against their enthusiasm, we need these men and women. Without their enthusiasm serving as a cattle prod to our spiritual lethargy, the church would be far less than it is.

Have you ever met a truly enthusiastic person?

There’s a story about a time when famed pastor Norman Vincent Peale met such a man, and it happened while he was on a train. Peale was seated in the diner car across from a passenger, a stranger. The man asked what Peale did for a living, then Peale asked the stranger the same question.

“You really want to know?” the man asked.

Peale said yes, so the fellow reached into his briefcase and pulled out, of all things, a fly swatter and put it on the table.

“Yes, it’s a fly swatter, but it’s not an ordinary fly swatter. You’ve never seen one like this before. See that swatting end? It’s smooth; it won’t tear the curtains or the furniture fabric. It’s bigger than most, and that makes it easier to kill flies. But the great thing about it is this,” and he pointed to a place where there was a little tank. “This is filled with perfume, and every time you swat flies you fill the air with perfume!”

The man went on to tell how he was making the world a sweeter-smelling place with fewer flies. By the time he was through, Peale was ready to buy!

If a man can get enthusiastic about a fly swatter, how much more can the children of God be enthusiastic about the kingdom of God, about the love of God, about the grace of God, about salvation from God — about God Himself?!

But have you taken a close look at the church lately?

Most of the church isn’t megachurches with wildly enthusiastic crowds worshiping with abandon; the American church is comprised of more than 300,000 churches, most of which are 90 members or less, who sluggishly appear together on Sundays and are far more enthusiastic about getting out of a service to beat the crowds to their favorite restaurants or to tune into the football game in time for the kickoff.

God has worked through all of human history executing His plan to reconcile sinful humanity to Himself so that we could be adopted as children of God, so that we can be saved from sin and its consequence of death, and so that we may be with Him forever … but we don’t get excited about that?

Dr. Peale had more to share on the topic of enthusiasm than his story about the man with the fly swatter …

Enthusiasm — it’s one of the greatest words in the English language! It is a word that is built deeply into the victorious spirit of man himself. The word enthusiasm is derived from two little Greek words, en and theos, with theos being the Greek word for God. So “enthusiasm” literally means, in its root concept, “full of God.” Maybe that’s why enthusiastic people are so often creative and joyful!

The Bible uses several different words for this idea of being filled with enthusiasm: ardor, zeal, whole-heartedness. My personal favorite is “eager.” When you are eager, you are enthusiastic about your service to God and others. This idea is taught again and again in the New Testament. We are told to:

Be “eager to serve” (1 Peter 5:2).
Be “eager for the gifts of the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 14:12).
Have an “eager willingness” to finish the work of faith we’ve begun (2 Corinthians 8:11).
Wait in “eager expectation” for God (Romans 8:9).
Be “eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:14).

God will help you maintain enthusiasm. He will help you overcome all difficulties, all tragedies, all sorrows, all heartaches; He will give you victory. The word itself tells us that people with enthusiasm will be full of God and will, consequently, create a better world and have a better life individually. Enthusiasm makes life exciting and creative; enthusiasm helps a person accomplish things.

We should be grateful for those brothers and sisters in Christ who just seem to be dripping with the joy of Christ, and a great enthusiasm for the kingdom of God and, because of that, exhort, urge, encourage, and challenge us to a greater enthusiasm for God.

Does knowing Jesus Christ excite you?

Does being adopted by God as His own child stir any enthusiasm in you?

Does the privilege of being invited to follow in the footsteps of Jesus give you any cause for enthusiasm?

What does excite you?

Scotty