An enthusiastic attitude can fuel us through some of the ups and downs we all face in ministry. It’s the joy factor that keeps us focused and committed in our calling when our emotions suggest we quit.

I recently read the following quote from Chuck Swindoll that helped me see the importance of enthusiasm: “In many ways, enthusiasm is the key ingredient that frees us from the cramping, dark, overheated confinement of a task. When the odds are against us, the hours are long, and the end is not yet in view, enthusiasm rescues us from the temptation to quit — or run away — or complain.”

Paul knew the value of enthusiasm and the part it plays in staying motivated. He shared it with his young protégé Timothy who was facing his own energy-draining battle. Paul told him to “fan into flame” the powerful gift God had given him (2 Timothy 1:6). That spirit of joy fueled Timothy during one of the toughest stretches of his ministry. And it can do the same for us.

When we become worn down by disappointments in ministry, we too can ask the Holy Spirit to fan into flame the gift that produces a new enthusiasm for the people we serve, the place we minister and the responsibilities He entrusts to us. It’s falling in love with ministry all over again.

The Holy Spirit is eager to renew your enthusiasm, and He’s ready to do it daily.

Fall in Love with the People You Are Called to Serve

In the natural, some people we are called to lead are not that lovable. But God gives us a supernatural capacity and ability to love even the more difficult people. Paul wrote in Romans 5:5, “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.”

God loved us when we were completely unlovable. Later in that same chapter, Paul says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

It’s that same supernatural demonstration that can baptize us with a spirit of joy to love people again.

There is a big difference between the energy drainers and energy producers in our ministries. But we make a huge mistake if we categorize them and give one group more attention than the other. Why is that? Because everyone has a soul, and God has no categories in eternity.

Fall in Love with the Place Where You Are Called to Minister

Do you ever get the itch to throw in the towel and look for greener pastures somewhere else? It’s so common in ministry. But God has planted us where we are, and He intends for us to flourish. When the nation of Israel was ready to take the Promised Land, God told Joshua, “I will give you every place where you set your foot” (Joshua 1:3).

As God directs your steps, He has given you a place for your feet.

My ministry has taken me many places over the years, uprooting me from a city that I loved and moving me to a place I may not have chosen. But I quickly realized that if I didn’t fall in love with the place and have enthusiasm for the geographical area where God sent me, it could have negative consequences.

We can feel out of place sometimes in ministry. But resist the temptation to feel trapped. Ministry in rural areas is different than ministry in urban settings. Not only is there a Columbus, Ohio, with a university and thriving metropolitan area, there’s also a Hicksville, Ohio, with a population under 4,000. What will work in one place won’t always work elsewhere. Recognizing the difference will keep you in tune with what God wants you to do and the valuable opportunity each place affords.

To do this, you need cultural literacy, which is much more effective than cultural relevance. We should understand the unique place we’ve been called to reach, and then find ways to minister effectively. When we are baptized in the joy of the Holy Spirit, we can be enthusiastic about any setting God has us in. Seriously, take some time to ask God to help you fall in love with the place where you are ministering.

Falling in Love with How God Has Shaped You to Meet the Responsibilities of Your Calling

God has created you to meet each unique challenge you face. When we are baptized with the joy of who we are in Christ, we see our responsibilities as blessings instead of burdens. But if we begin to compare our ministry to someone else’s, we run the risk of never matching up to what God has for us.

Comparison erodes the value of God’s workmanship. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that “we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

If you tamper with His handiwork, how He made you to meet your responsibilities, it can short circuit the good works He has set in front of you. Give your Creator credit for perfectly placing you where your talents work best!

Challenges are a natural part of any endeavor, especially in ministry. But when they begin to stack up one right after another, it can quickly drain our enthusiasm. You may think that copying some other ministry style is a great way to jumpstart your own calling. But working outside of your God-given design will end in discouragement and ultimately defeat.

Keeping your enthusiasm up in the face of your responsibilities takes good and godly perspective. Failure can throw a damp towel on any fire you’ve been fanning. But true success in ministry means relying on the Holy Spirit to energize you. Winston Churchill once said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” Uzziah discovered, “As long as he sought the Lord, God gave him success” (2 Chronicles 26:5).

Where are you when it comes to enthusiasm?  Is your gauge running on low? Do you need a quick fillup? The Holy Spirit is eager to renew your enthusiasm, and He’s ready to do it daily. Let the Holy Spirit reinvigorate you to serve your people, meet the challenges of your place of ministry and embrace the responsibilities of your calling.

This article originally appeared in the Winter 2018 issue of Called to Serve, the Assemblies of God Ministers Letter.