| |
| |
|
Spirituality Information |
|
|
|
Enthusiam And The Spirit
In this article, I would like deal with one specific aspect of attitude, that is, "enthusiasm." To have an enthusiastic attitude about we do is essential. I have taken the time to look up the meaning and origin of the word enthusiasm: ETYMOLOGY: Late Latin enthsiasmus, from Greek enthousiasmos, from enthousiazein, to be inspired by a god, from entheos, possessed: en-, in; see + theos, god; thus, a strong warmth of feeling, keen interest or fervor; Great excitement for or interest in a subject or cause. 2. A source or cause of great excitement or interest. 3. Archaic a. Ecstasy arising from supposed possession by a god. b. Religious fanaticism. Irving Hexham's concise Dictionary of religion explained it this way: ENTHUSIASM: the original Greek word means "rapture" or being possessed by a GOD. The word was used disparagingly in the seventeenth century to depict the religious attitude of the PURITANS and in the eighteenth century the METHODISTS. Today the word has the general sense of a passionate eagerness in any pursuit. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition gives the following: "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm," said the very quotable Ralph Waldo Emerson, who also said, "Everywhere the history of religion betrays a tendency to enthusiasm." These two uses of the word enthusiasm-one positive and one negative-both derive from its source in Greek. Enthusiasm first appeared in English in 1603 with the meaning "possession by a god." The source of the word is the Greek enthousiasmos, which ultimately comes from the adjective entheos, "having the god within," formed from en, "in, within," and theos, "god." Over time the meaning of enthusiasm became extended to "rapturous inspiration like that caused by a "god" to "an overly confident or delusory belief that one is inspired by God," to "ill-regulated religious fervor, religious extremism," and eventually to the familiar sense "craze, excitement, strong liking for something."[end of quote] Although the word was originally used disparagingly, there must be some truth behind it's origins. After all, when you think about God, how do you see him--as a lethargic being, not having any feeling for his handiwork? On the contrary. In Genesis we are told that God saw that what he had created was very good (Genesis 1:21). I believe he was excited about what he had made. Thus the origin of enthusiasm lies with God Himself. To be told, even desparagingly, that one is enthusiastic (or seeming to have God within) should be viewed as a compliment. Enthusiasm demonstrates the character of God. An enthusiastic person is acting or reacting as God would act or react. Of course anyone can act and even be enthusiastic about anything without knowing God at all. But, for the Christian, there is a built in source of enthusiasm. If you'll pardon my preaching for a second, when we accept Jesus as our Savior, God comes to dwell in us, in the person of the Holy Spirit, so we literally do have God within us. Enthusiasm brings power. And Jesus told his disciples that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit had come upon them (Acts 1:8). Thus, our greatest source of enthusiasm is the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. If you don't know this source of power, I pray you would find it today by inviting Jesus into your life. Article written by James M. Becher, Bible teacher, author of "OF SUCH IS THE KINGDOM, A Novel of Biblical Times," (http://www.publishedauthors.net/jamesmbecher/index.html), and publisher of the bi-weekly Ezine, "Inspirational Success Tips" ( inspirationalsuccesstips@Freeautobot.com)
MORE RESOURCES:
Religious and Spirituality : Secrets to Answered Prayer - What ... - SkyNewswire.com (press release)
Spirituality - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Path to Healing It is within us to explore and draw upon our inner resources to heal. Some wounds are embedded so deeply that no amount of professional expertise can cure, much less heal. Run Forest Gump Run In the movie "Forest Gump" we see Forest succeed in just about every aspect of his life. What we admire most about him is his ability to overcome physical obstacles all throughout his life. Gods and Energy An interesting question that frequently comes up is "Which Gods do you follow or worship?"My usual, and frequently misunderstood, answer is - "none and all of them". I don't debate the existence, validity or 'good'ness or 'bad'ness of any of the various deities. Discipline of Prayer: Always Connected Every workday, five days a week, I take the light rail into downtown Dallas. Only last week, this routine finally taught me a lesson about prayer. Introduction to the Five Powers of Spirit You are a dual being. Part eternal spirit and part temporal body. Psychotherapy and Spiritual Growth The teacher of the future.. The Power of Angels - An Interview With Rose Ann Schwab - Part 1 Rose Ann Schwab is an internationally and world renowned professional clairvoyant psychic medium. Her gifts are finely tuned and have high credibility with 95% accuracy. The Power Of Prayer - Gush Katif Needs You Now You can't help but feel a sense of electricity in the air. History is unfolding, make that prophecy is being fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled daily from now until the coming of the Lord. Grace - The Divine Influence of God The greatest frustration in a Christian's life is not being able to get what they believe to work in their lives.You've got people who have studied and believed that it's God's will to heal them. Is Your Pursuit of Money Robbing You Of Complete Fulfillment? Do you think it's acceptable for people to make millions of dollars selling us and our kids on the idea that pre-marital sex, adultery, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, selfish ambitions, drunkenness and things of this sort are O.K. The Emptiness That Binds The Universe What is the opportunity here? What is the benefit of this difficulty? What is the gift? ~ Marc AllenIt's strange--behind the terror and confusion of the world, behind the frustration of things not working out for us or anyone else, and behind the unending battles of struggle--there is an inner joy, a radiance that shines in the heart, an awareness that exists forever. One day, when we have all packed up our toys and gone home, we will look back on these days of earth as a marvelous adventure. Stepping Into the Darkness One of the "loopholes" in my philosophical belief system when I was younger (and at this point in my life, that means "almost middle-aged"! ) was whether or not there was an evil force in the universe equal to God who served as man's adversary. He was the original "bad guy," and the human race seemed to be caught between these two invisible forces - one of good and one of evil. Terminal Diagnosis and Putting Our House in Order In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, "This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover. Holy and Unholy Numbers Many of our great religions hold that numbers contain hidden meanings that in turn hold the mysteries of the universe and God within them. Ancient Hebrew mystics referred to this as Gematria. The Jabbok Experience Jacob had sent his family on across the river Jabbok. Now he's alone in the night with the river; this smooth talking, manipulating, deceiving Jacob. The Universal Connection I believe in a phenomenon I have been known to call a 'Universal connection'. Yesterday one of these destined occurrences deeply affected the mood I was in and took me from feeling pretty low and depressed to feeling a joyous epiphany. African American Hiking for Spiritual Health Hiking is gaining popularity within the African-American community. We're beginning to spend more time in nature in an effort to connect deeply with the spirit within. You Are Not Your Stuff We humans are a funny, funny breed. We spend our entire lives working and working and working to acquire 'stuff'. Finding Bobbie Fisher ---The Light House: Where Would Your Ship Be? There is an old tradition song called, The Lighthouse and the end of the chorus goes something like this, "If it weren't for that old Lighthouse?. Where would this ship be?"In a scene from the movie Finding Bobbie Fisher, Bobbie is sitting next to his girlfriend under a lighthouse and she says to him. Fatal Distractions There is so much going on in the world around us that it is easy for us to become distracted from keeping our focus on Christ and spiritual things. And our vision slips away from us when we turn to glance at the things of the world.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |