“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”
– Romans 14:17
A while back, I interviewed an old friend of mine named Earl Lamar. He was the chairman of the board for Hour of Power in Australia, and he’s just a fascinating guy who’s had a lot of wins in life and business. He started out as a church musician, but ultimately, he became an accountant and made some great deals in real estate. His financial prowess set him up to support a lot of wonderful causes, and interestingly, he attributes a good deal of his success to the teachings of Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, who also had a big influence on my Grandpa Schuller. He shared with me that Dr. Peale talked frequently about two important things that lead to prosperity — outgoingness and enthusiasm — and I want to dive into those a bit deeper today. Though it has many descriptions, we might say that outgoingness is a willingness to meet new people, shake their hands, and listen to their stories, even if we don’t feel like it. We can never underestimate the power of showing a genuine interest in others, and being friendly and putting ourselves “out there” makes a big impact, especially when it’s done with enthusiasm. Interestingly, this common word comes from the Greek “en-theos,” which literally means God within. In other words, if Jesus is alive on the inside of us, His joy, life, and hope will spill out from our hearts in a way that draws people to Him. And though not everyone is naturally extroverted, it’s worth remembering that choosing to be outgoing and enthusiastic can take us farther than we ever imagined, not just in this world, but in the Kingdom of God, too! My friend, while you don’t want to assume a behavior that’s disingenuous, it’s always good to be a friendly and joy-filled person. Thankfully, you don’t have to work hard to do this — you can simply root yourself in the promises of Jesus and allow Him to be your source. If pursuing Him is your greatest passion, connecting with people will be a natural result. When His favor surrounds you, your life will effortlessly draw others to His loving heart. |
Prayer
Jesus, I ask you to make me more outgoing and enthusiastic in you.
Reflection
Do you believe that enthusiasm and outgoingness correlate to success in life and ministry? Why or why not?
If you’re unable to attend your local church or need some additional weekly inspiration, be sure to tune into Hour of Power every Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. PT on TBN or watch online at hourofpower.org/episode.
One Response
Yes I believe that. It is vital and very important for a person to be outgoing and show enthusiasm for whatever he or she does. It doesn’t matter whether or not they graduated from college or never finished their high school education. It is shown in their productivity and interactiveness with others.Our World needs leaders who will inspire the younger generation to succeed in their chosen field.We are in a crisis situation right now especially with the troubles in Afghanistan and the out of control
Delta variant running amok.We need prayers to answer the tough questions. But with the grace of God. He will get us through. I hope and pray that the Hour of Power will continue its mission of reaching out to all around the world with the positive and healing messages of God. To the Schuller family. I ask in prayer that God will bless them with excellent health. To the Hour of Power Choir and Orchestra and their directors, Messages of thanks and appreciation for the glorious and uplifting music and singing. To the worshiping community of Shepherd’s Grove at Irvine Presbyterian Church.Peace Love and Blessings.As always I remain a faithful
viewer and Happy and Wholesome Student in Jesus Christ. May God bless our President and his family. And also our Vice President and her family with excellent health for the rest of this year and for the years to come, PS I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Amen and may God bless America