How to Stay Enthusiastic for a Lifetime

In Romans 12:11-12 I read, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (NIV)

In order to reach my goals, I have to figure out how to maintain my enthusiasm over the long haul, or I’m never going to make it to the finish line.  

So how do I stay enthusiastic day after day in spite of delays, difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures, and criticisms?  Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling myself up by your psychological bootstraps is not enough. Talking myself into optimism is not enough.

The way to stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the word “enthusiasm,” which comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the Greek word for “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.”

When I’m ”in God”, I will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or my circumstances. It’s eternal, because I am tied to the eternal God. You are in Christ.

Paul tells me how to be “in God”—enthusiastic—in Romans 12:11-12: “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

If I want to reach my goals, I need to get God-given enthusiasm by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

Start by praying this prayer today: “Dear God, I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I dedicate myself to you. I offer myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship”.

“I humbly admit that I need help. I want you to renew my mind, so I can think the way you want me to think—with the mind of Christ. Please forgive me for my pride. I don’t want to think more highly of myself than I should. My faith needs to grow, and I need your help to set goals that can be measured so I can manage them. Forgive me for trying to change on my own.”

“I want to fill my life with love. I want to fill my life with you. Help me to take delight in honoring other people and to focus on giving my life away so that you can take care of my needs. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being “in you”. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

In summary, In order to reach my goals, I have to figure out how to maintain my enthusiasm over the long haul, or I’m never going to make it to the finish line. So how do I stay enthusiastic day after day in spite of delays, difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures, and criticisms? Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling myself up by my psychological bootstraps is not enough. Talking myself into optimism is not enough. The way to stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the word “enthusiasm,” which comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the Greek word for “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.” When I’m ”in God”, I will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or my circumstances. It’s eternal, because I am tied to the eternal God. Paul tells me how to be “in God”, Keep your spiritual fervor, and serve the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”. I need to get God-given enthusiasm by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. 

Start by praying this “God, I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I dedicate myself to you. I offer myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship. I humbly admit that I need help. I want you to renew my mind, so I can think the way you want me to think. Please forgive me for my pride. I don’t want to think more highly of myself than I should. I need your help to set goals that can be measured so I can manage them. Forgive me for trying to change on my own. I want to fill my life with love. I want to fill my life with you. Help me to take delight in honoring others and to focus on giving my life away so that you can take care of my needs. Nurture my enthusiasm by being “in you”. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

So don’t burn out; learn to keep myself fueled and aflame. Be an alert servant of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. 

How to Keep My Enthusiasm

In review of Romans 12:11-12 it says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

Today’s verses come from Romans 12:9-13. It says to not just pretend to love others, but really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.

I know how to be courteous to others. I'm even skilled in pretending to feel compassion when I hear of others' needs. But God calls me to a genuine love that goes far beyond pretense and politeness. Genuine love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands my time, money, and personal involvement. Look for people who need my love, and look for ways I can love for Christ.

I can honor others in one of two ways. One involves ulterior motives. I honor my leader so they will reward me, my employees so they will work harder, the wealthy so they will contribute to my cause, the powerful so that will use their power for me and not against me. God's way involves love. As a follower of Christ, I honor people because they have been created in God's image, because they are my brothers and sisters in Christ, and because they have a unique contribution to make to Christ's church  Does God's way of honoring others sound too difficult for my competitive nature? Why not try to outdo others in showing honor? Put others first!

Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: the home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast focuses on the guests. Their needs, whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance, are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table when the main disk is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just because I'm too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain.

To reach my goals, I have to figure out how to maintain my enthusiasm over the long haul.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” I’ve got to have passion and enthusiasm, or I’m never going to make it to the finish line.

I need to learn to be consistently enthusiastic about the goals that I’ve set for my life.

Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling myself up by my psychological bootstraps is not enough. Talking myself into optimism is not enough.

The way to stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the word “enthusiasm.” The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the Greek word for the English word “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.”

When I get in God, I will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or my circumstances. It’s eternal because I’m tied to the eternal God. I am in Christ.

Paul tells me how to do this in Romans 12:11-12. He says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

If I want to reach my goals, I need to tap into God’s power by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

Bottom Line:

Don’t energy or enthusiasm, for it is the Lord you serve. Have joy, patience, and be faithful in prayers.

What this means to me:

I should never let myself lack enthusiasm, but rather remember that in what I do, I’m serving the Lord. So remember to joyful in the hope I have, be patient when afflictions come, and to always be faithful in prayer.

This morning I pray: “Dear God, I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I offer you my body. I dedicate myself to you. In light of all you’ve done for me, I give myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship.

“I humbly admit that I need help. I want you to renew my mind. Help me to think the way you want me to think. Please forgive me for my pride. I don’t want to think more highly of myself than I should. My faith needs to grow, and I need your help to set goals that can be measured so I can manage them. Forgive me for trying to change on my own.

“I want to fill my life with love. I want to fill my life with you. Help me to get group support. Help me to take delight in honoring other people, to focus on giving my life away so that you can take care of my needs. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being in you. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I give myself to you. In your name I pray. Amen.”

To Get Enthusiastic, Get in God

In review of Romans 12:11-12 it says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer”

Bottom Line:

Work hard and don’t be lazy. Serve with devotion, let your hope keep you joyful. Be patient in times of trouble and pray always.

What this means to me:

I should not be lazy or give up, rather work hard and serve the Lord with devotion. I am to let my hope keep me joyful. I need to be patient in times of trouble and never stop praying.

It's important to maintain my enthusiasm over time. Enthusiasm will help me make it across the finish line. But how do I go about doing this?

Positive thinking will not be enough. Pulling myself up by my psychological bootstraps is not enough. Talking myself into optimism is not enough.

What I’m reminded of this morning is that the way to stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the word “enthusiasm” itself. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek phrase en theos. En is the Greek word for the English word “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.”

When I get in God, I will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or by my circumstances. It’s eternal because I’m tied to the eternal God. I am in Christ.

Paul explains how to do this in Romans 12:11-12. He says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

To reach my goals, I need to get God’s power by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

Today I pray, “Dear God, I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I offer you my body. I dedicate myself to you. In light of all you’ve done for me, I give myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship.I humbly admit that I need help. I want you to help renew my mind. Help me to think the way you want me to think. Please forgive me for my pride. I don’t want to think more highly of myself than I should. My faith needs to grow, and I need your help to set goals that can be measured so I can manage them. Forgive me for trying to change on my own. I want to fill my life with love. I want to fill my life with you. Help me to get group support. Help me to take delight in honoring others, to focus on giving my life away so that you can take care of my needs. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being in you. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I give myself to you. In your name I pray. Amen.”

Learning to Stay Enthusiastic for a Lifetime

In review of Romans 12:11-12 it says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Romans 12:11-12 NIV).

Bottom Line:

Don’t lack zeal, be eager to follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in your confident hope, be patient in times of trouble and keep on praying.

What this means to me:

Don’t be lazy or lack zeal in what you do, rather eagerly follow the Holy Spirit and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in your confident hope you have. Learn to be patient in times of trouble and never stop praying.

Today's passage comes from the middle part of Romans chapter 12 in which Paul speaks to us about being a living sacrifice to God. Paul explains that we should give our lives to God, because of all he has done for us. The giving of ourselves is truly the way to worship him. We start by not copying the behaviour and customs of this world around us. Rather we let God transform us into new people. We are also reminded to not think more highly of ourselves than we should. We should use the gifts God gave us to serve those around us.

When it comes to live, we should not just pretend to love, but really love them with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.  We should not be lazy but work hard serving the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. When God's people are in need, be ready to help them, and be always eager to practice hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you and pray that God will bless them.  Celebrate with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. Don't think you know it all.

Don't seek payback or revenge. Do things in a way that all can see that you are honorable. Do what you can to live in peace with everyone.

In order to fulfill the mission God has for me, I need to learn how to maintain my enthusiasm over the long haul.  A quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Nothing great is ever accomplished without enthusiasm.” I need to learn to adapt and adopt this into my daily routine. Having and maintaining the passion and enthusiasm will help me reach the finish line.

So how do I stay enthusiastic day after day, considering what life throws my way (delays, difficulties, dead ends, problems and criticisms)?  Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling myself up by my psychological bootstraps will not be enough. Talking myself into optimism will not be enough.

What I’m learning is that the way I stay enthusiastic for a lifetime is found in the root of the word “enthusiasm.” The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word “en theos.” “En” is the Greek word for the English word “in.” “Theos” is the Greek word for “God.” So “en theos” means to be “in God.”

When I get in God, I will be enthusiastic. It’s the kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy or the weather or my circumstances. It’s eternal because I’m tied to the eternal God. I am in Christ.

Paul tells us how to do this in passage from Romans 12:11-12. He says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV).

To reach my goals this year, I need to get God’s power by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.

God, today I pray that I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I offer you my body. I dedicate myself to you. In light of all you’ve done for me, I give myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship. I humbly admit that I need help. I want you to help renew my mind. Help me to think the way you want me to think. Please forgive me for my pride and how it gets in my way. I don’t want to think more highly of myself than I should. My faith needs to grow, and I need your help to set goals that can be measured so I can manage them. Forgive me for trying to change on my own.  I want to fill my life with love. I want to fill my life with you. Help me to get group support. Help me to take delight in honoring other people, to focus on giving my life away so that you can take care of my needs. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being in you. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I give myself to you. In your name I pray. Amen.

If I truly strive to live this way, I know it will bring enthusiasm that can last my lifetime.

To Get And Maintain Enthusiasm, I Need God

In review of Romans 12:11-12 it says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Bottom Line:

Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart. Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times.

What this means to me:

I should not be lazy or lack zeal, but instead work hard eagerly following the Holy Spirit. I should serve the Lord with all my heart and devotion. I need to be happy in my confidence in HIm and patient in times of trouble. I should pray at all times. Also, as I make new goals for this year, I need to find a way to maintain my enthusiasm over the long haul. What I need help in is staying enthusiastic day after day, despite delays, difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures and criticisms. Positive thinking or optimism will not be enough.  What I’ve learned today is that for me to stay enthusiastic for the long term is found in the word “enthusiasm” itself. The word “enthusiasm” comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the Greek word for the English word “in.” Theos is the Greek word for “God.” So en theos means to be “in God.” My daily time with God, can help me with this enthusiasm,. a kind of enthusiasm that isn’t affected by the economy, weather or my circumstances. Paul tells me how to do this in Romans 12:11-12. He says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (NIV). To reach my goals for this year, I need to get God’s power by being joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I’ll need to humbly admit that I need His help. I need Him to help renew my mind. To help me to think the way he’d want me to think. To help me with humility, so that I don’t think more highly of myself than I should.  My faith needs to grow, and I will need His help in setting goals that can be measured so that I can manage them. I’ll need help in filling my life with love. I’ll need help in taking delight in honoring other people, to focus on giving my life away. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being in you. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. I end this time with this prayer, “Dear God, I don’t want to go another day without you in my life, controlling every part of my heart. I offer you my body. I dedicate myself to you. In light of all you’ve done for me, I give myself as a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act of worship.”