Leaping in enthusiasm

Yesterday was a wonderful day. Someone we had recently been praying for recently gave their heart to Christ. Our hearts were filled with joy as we prayed with this person. God is really wonderful.

You could say we were very enthusiastic about what God had done. Enthusiasm literally means zealous or passionate interest in something. This dictionary definition however does not do justice to the historical connotation of the word.

The Greeks initially used enthusiasm to describe one who was possessed by a god. Initially this was really a person who was drunk, being possessed by Dionysus, the god of wine. This person obviously would be exuberant in actions and gestures beyond the norm. The word evolved eventually to mean someone who was filled with religious and sometimes political inspiration. Evidently these religious zealots still exhibited outer characteristics that warranted the same description. Essentially through history, enthusiasm has had both positive and negative connotation depending on the society and context. However the exuberance of the enthusiast in observable actions has never changed.

The reason we focus on this word is its linkage to the word joy in the New and Old Testament. “Leaping for joy” in scripture is rooted in the word enthusiasm. Thus, as Mary felt Jesus kick in her spirit, or as the disciples are enjoined to leap for joy at impending persecution, they are engaging in being enthusiasts.

What word picture comes to your mind in relation to enthusiasm? Do you envision a youth leaping for joy at the prospect of going on a summer vacation or a sports fanatic running wildly onto the field as its favourite team just won the cup? These pictures are both accurate. God desires that we would be enthusiastic in our celebration of Him. When he speaks of being joyful, it doesn’t relate to only inner contentment and satisfaction. It speaks of an exuberant, almost fanatic or infantile, outward display of unusual gesticulation. Does this describe you? Are you joyful? Are you enthusiastic in relation to God?

After last night my understanding of biblical joy has compounded. As a few of us stayed late to pray, we encountered God in a unique way. Several times during the prayer time, God’s spirit which possesses us was felt in an uncontainable fashion. We found ourselves literally leaping for joy and running around. There was no inhibition by our age, culture or temperament. I am not sure why I leapt for joy. It could have been because of excitement at the recent salvation or a plethora of things God has done. Whatever the cause it was a childlike-biblical response to the abundant excitement felt inside.

Be joyful. Rejoice. Be an enthusiast. Leap for joy. As you practice the joy of the Lord, his strength, splendour and goodness will be more evident in your life.

How does a disciple, rescue a generation?

We have recently been meditating on the book of Nehemiah. As you might know, because of Nehemiah`s selfless and courageous desire to help his fellows Jew, he forever changed the destiny of God`s people. His follow through in building the walls spurred a series of events that was intrinsic to Jewish identity. The walls, led to the building of the temple, which allowed for temple worship, and ultimately repentance and recommitment to God`s law by the Israelites.

Did you ever wonder what motivated Nehemiah? Who was this radical disciple? How does he differ from you and I?

The amazing thing about Nehemiah is that he was just like you and I. He was a privileged believer, living his own life, at the pinnacle of the career God had destined for him. As God began burdening him about the fate of desolate Jerusalem, he must have wondered, what could one individual do? After all he was just an individual in a complex system designed to favour only the privileged few. The admirable thing about Nehemiah was that despite these natural convictions he had, he still acted. He felt it was not fair that he should live lavishly, while God`s people were broken down. Thus he followed his gut, and was impressed to communicate his feelings to his king. Did you know however that Nehemiah was not guaranteed any outcome? The king could have laughed at him, ignored him and dashed his hopes to nothing. However Nehemiah`s sense of mission overcame the fear of failure. He spoke. We are told that fear of failure is often what stops any of us from trying something different. Fortunately enough in Nehemiah`s sake, God granted him favour, and the events we read about in Nehemiah ensued.

How does a disciple rescue a generation? Simply by being faithful to the simple directives God puts in your heart. You will never know the impact of your actions, until you try. Maybe God is asking you to talk to a neighbour or a co-worker, but you find yourself too preoccupied. Or you are getting an urge to commit to a certain cause, but you lack the follow through. It could be that He is speaking to you about making steps in a certain direction in your life, yet without the big picture you are hesitant.

The only difference between many of us and Nehemiah is a commitment to obeying God. Many don`t fully know that their obedience could determine the freedom of others.

Begin today by being a Nehemiah. Commit to obeying God in the little things, when no one is looking. Develop a keen sensitivity to God`s voice, so that when he does lead you to rescue a generation you are ready, willing and able. Maybe you will end up like Nehemiah, and your convictions will cause you to relocate to an area of great depravity to bring freedom to many, or you will simply change the world right where you at. Whatever you do, do it with all your heart, and leave the rest to God.