Question 1

How can I regain my enthusiasm for life and faith?

Accepted Answer

Colossians 3:23Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.Our attitude improves when we do even life’s most distasteful or onerous duties as an act of praise to the Lord. How can we disdain what we joyfully offer to God?Psalm 103:2Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me.Counting our blessings will increase our enthusiasm. Forgetting our blessings will lead to apathy.Psalm 19:1The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.We can regain our enthusiasm for life and faith by stopping to look, listen, smell, and feel. An iridescent sunset, the tiny veins of a leaf, or a fresh breeze can lift our spirits. When we take time to wonder at God’s creation, the glory of God will lift us from the mundane.Mark 6:31Jesus said, “Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.”We can regain our enthusiasm by taking care of our bodies through proper rest, nutrition, and exercise.Proverbs 12:25Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person up.2 Corinthians 9:2I [Paul] know how eager you are to help, and I have been boasting to the churches in Macedonia that you in Greece were ready to send an offering a year ago. In fact, it was your enthusiasm that stirred up many of the Macedonian believers to begin giving.We can regain our enthusiasm for life by spending time with enthusiastic people. Their spirit will rub off on us because enthusiasm is contagious!Psalm 9:2I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart. . . . I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.Focusing on the Lord and worshiping him, even if this is difficult at first, will increase our enthusiasm for life and faith.Matthew 4:19Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”Romans 11:29God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.We will regain our enthusiasm for life and faith when we reclaim our sense of God’s unchanging purpose for our lives, knowing that we are impacting eternity through God’s power at work within us. Working as God’s partners to announce his Kingdom is truly something to be enthusiastic about!

Question 2

I thought the Christian life was supposed to be serious. Can I really serve God with enthusiasm?

Accepted Answer

Joshua 22:5“Love the Lord your God, walk in all his ways, obey his commands, hold firmly to him, and serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”Romans 15:13I [Paul] pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.Philippians 4:4Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!Certain areas of the Christian life are very serious—sin and its consequences, church discipline, fighting the presence of evil, to name a few. But we can find great delight in knowing that the God of the universe loves us, has a plan for us, and has made this wonderful world for us to enjoy. In fact, he tells us to serve him enthusiastically, joyfully, and with a great sense of delight. God knows that enthusiasm lights the fire of service.

Question 3

What dampens enthusiasm most, and how should we guard against that?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 13:20-22“The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.”Just as weeds steal a plant’s sunlight, water, and nutrients, so earthly priorities and pleasures can steal our enthusiasm for God. Those who are spiritually flagging may have lost enthusiasm for their mission. Those who do not root themselves deeply in the Lord have no place for the seeds of God’s Word to grow, and without that depth, the hot sun of persecution or adversity causes enthusiasm to wither. Their sense of purpose fades, and along with it, their relationship with God.

Question 4

Can the lack of spiritual enthusiasm be a sin?

Accepted Answer

Matthew 25:13“You, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.”1 Thessalonians 5:6Be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.Revelation 3:19I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference.The sin of the church at Laodicea was being lukewarm or indifferent about the Lord and spiritual matters. When we lack enthusiasm, we can easily fall into spiritual apathy. Being lukewarm or indifferent is sin because it treats God as someone of little worth. When we value something or someone greatly, we are naturally enthusiastic.

Enthusiasm