All for His Glory

Little Jimmy would often watch sports with his dad. Growing up he knew how much his dad loved his team. Every time that team played, there was energy in the room. His dad would cheer in the good times and shout in the bad. No one ever questioned which side Jimmy’s dad was rooting for. In those moments, he was enthusiastic! 

Paul communicated the important way we ought to work in Ephesians 6:7, “Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people” (NLT). 

I know enthusiasm is sometimes hard to muster, but I challenge you to put aside negativity and begin to think of the eternal seeds you are planting when you choose to become enthusiastic for God. We may not often think about this, but Christians should show enthusiasm for God in all they do. Being a Christian doesn’t have to be boring! Yet we are often guilty of living as if it is. Allow me to share a few reasons God’s people ought to become enthusiastic for God! 

Our Enthusiasm Affects Our Environment 

Jimmy’s dad doesn’t have the ability to change the outcome of a game by yelling at the TV. He might be interested in the results, but he is not personally involved. That is not true for the Christian. We are active players! We are to be involved, and our attitude impacts our effectiveness. 

We all know how someone with a terrible attitude can ruin a special occasion. The same can be true for people who actively choose to have a good attitude regardless of the situation. By choosing to be enthusiastic, you become a thermostat, able to change your environment for the better. This phenomenon can be seen at work, in class, at church, and at home. Failing to be enthusiastic can lead you and others to some troubling times, reducing your effectiveness to that of a thermometer. You might be able to read the room but lack the ability to change it. 

Coach Jim Harbaugh knew this to be true. He became known for the statement, “Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.” Instead of allowing life to pass his team by, they go out and create the life they want to live with confidence and passion! Champions choose to be enthusiastic. 

Our joy and excitement for Christ should be seen in the way we live our life. Adopting this mindset doesn’t go unnoticed. If anything, it will help us standout in all we do for God. We need to choose to wake up each day with this attitude and with this energy as we strive to glorify God in all that we do. Without enthusiasm, we hurt our witness and fail to live out a life of joy. Having unenthusiastic faith leads to laziness and lack of conviction. It leaves open the door for falsehoods to creep in.  

Our Enthusiasm is Grounded in Our Confidence 

It is always better to cheer for the winning team! The moment we tend to have the most confidence in our team and their ability is when we realize our team won the big game. This excitement doesn’t go unnoticed. We post, text, call, brag to friends about how we are victorious! 

As Christians we always get to cheer for the winning team. Have you ever watched a game after you knew the score? Maybe your favorite team won, and you wanted to watch how they won. This is true for us! Who has it better than we do?! We get to serve the holy God with confidence unrivaled because we know He is ALWAYS victorious. 

Understanding this reality should affect us to our core. It should be seen in all that we do because our confidence in Christ is not misplaced. Our confidence is rooted in the knowledge we have about who Christ is and what He has done. Based on that knowledge, our enthusiasm for our Lord and Savior ought to outmatch anything known to mankind. We choose to live for Christ because HE LIVES! He battled the strongest of enemies the world has ever seen and came out victorious. 

Our Enthusiasm Honors God 

Little everyday tasks can be counted as worship for God if done with the correct motives. From the moment you wake up until you close your eyes at night, you can honor Him with every action, word, and attitude. Maybe this is the truth that Jesus was trying to share with the woman at the well in John 4. God is seeking something deeper. If that is the case, maybe God is looking at our motives, which is not seen in what we do, but in why we do it. 

Attempting to appear holy is seen in what we do, a focus on self instead of God. Many people become enthusiastic to do good for God but are motivated by the wrong reasons. This is the mistake many of our legalistic friends make whose motivation is grounded in honor of self. This is a dangerous position to be in. 

Instead, my prayer is that we honor God with our enthusiasm knowing that what He offers us is not fair, nor should we want it to be fair. We honor Him with our enthusiasm seeking to worship Him more perfectly in spirit and truth. 

Join me in the challenge of becoming more enthusiastic for God. An enthusiastic Christian is never boring. They are actively changing their environment for the better. Their confidence is grounded in the truths surrounding God’s character. They are seeking to please God rather than man. That is who I want to be. Let’s wake up and “Attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind” for Gods glory! 

Erick Clemens is the Youth Minister at Kent Christian Church, Madison, IN. He has a passion for his family — Ciera his wife, and their two boys, Jedi and JJ. Erick loves working with youth of all ages.