Enthusiasm and South Australian Hills

I have always felt that one of the chief reasons for success in life is enthusiasm. William Lyon Phelps

I read that quote years ago, and it lodged in my mind. I didn’t live it, but I observed it. While I was away, I learned some things about enthusiasm. Each morning before we went out on the doors to canvass and share Christ, we’d gather around and have prayer time. Anyone could pray, and invariably someone would ask for energy, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm. Then, while we were travelling to where we’d be for the day, we’d each pick a prayer partner to keep in mind throughout the day, and ask them what they wanted prayed for. Often, people requested enthusiasm.

I was thinking about this my last day canvassing with the team. I was tired and sad that it was the last day, when the thought came that I should rather be making the most of it. I prayed and asked for enthusiasm. I remembered one day a couple of weeks before when a few in our team decided to see how many copies of The Path to Peace – our smallest book – they could get out in one day. They each got out over three times what I normally would. I was thinking about what made the difference: purpose and enthusiasm. So I decided to put everything into it for the last few hours. And God gave me the enthusiasm. Literally, my attitude totally reversed, and I was so excited and full-on at every door, whether they accepted me or not. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Since coming home, I keep slipping into this dull attitude: life’s a drag, I’m bored, why does everything have to involve decisions and be so stressful. Just last week I was praying and asking God why I felt so tired and lifeless. I hadn’t been doing near as much as while I was away, but I felt dead. God gave me this strong impression that what I was missing was enthusiasm. When I stopped to think about it, life was great, God was doing awesome things, exciting opportunities were in front of me. There was plenty to be enthusiastic about. And then He gave me enthusiasm, and I no longer felt tired and bored. Nothing in my situation changed. It was purely my attitude.

These experiences have two lessons that I’ve noticed. The first is: ask God for enthusiasm. For whatever reason, it never occurred to me to pray for enthusiasm before. But God can do everything, and He most definitely can give enthusiasm, even when it’s the last thing we feel.

The second point is: why not live life enthusiastically? We can be enthusiastic about something in every situation. Sure, some times are hard, but there are always small blessings and gifts from God we overlook – breath, life, health, sunshine, the view, honey and peanut butter. Why not be enthusiastic? It makes life much more exciting, and enjoyable. It turns mundane tasks and everyday experiences into fun. Life is short, and we can only live each day once. Why not dive into it headfirst, be thrilled at every blessing God sends us, and have an attitude of enthusiasm? That’s what I’ve been asking myself.

And then, in the middle of writing this, I remembered my post last year, about finding God in the original meanings of words. “Enthusiasm comes from the Greek word entheos. En means in, and theos refers to God – literally possessed by God, or God is in them.” So of course, enthusiasm comes from God; it comes from God living and working through us. No wonder He can give it, and no wonder it makes life so much better. It’s how He made us to be.

Enthusiasm is more than I thought.

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What are your thoughts on enthusiasm? How do you think we can live enthusiastically? Have you ever had an experience where enthusiasm made all the difference?

And does anyone else see beauty in these dry hills? Have you ever been to South Australia?