His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
John 2:17
How do you picture Jesus? Do you think of him as someone who never gets excited about anything?
That’s not how he was portrayed in the Bible.
Jesus wasn’t laid back, detached or indifferent. Jesus lived with passion! As a believer, you have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16), which means in addition to having his peace and joy in you, you also have access to his enthusiasm and zest for life in every area.
Enthusiasm is vital for success. Sir Edward V. Appleton, a Scottish physicist who won a Nobel Prize once said, “I rate enthusiasm even above professional skill,” and I’d have to agree with him. Enthusiasm is more important than skill as it fuels the self-discipline and persistence required to develop a skill.
Often we hold back enthusiasm because we’re afraid of failure. We think that if we get excited about something and then it doesn’t work out, we’ll look like fools. Meanwhile, isn’t it worth the risk to live with passion and enjoy life?
Now, when I talk about enthusiasm, I’m not talking about being fake. We all know people who try to hide behind a façade of pretend happiness and excitement. I’m talking about having authentic enthusiasm even while dealing with problems.
Over the next few days, we’re going to continue to discuss how to become more enthusiastic in life, because it’s a skill you can develop. Jesus wants us to live full, abundant lives (John 10:10). His Spirit is within you as a believer, and he is full of enthusiasm, so you can be too!