Several years ago an article appeared in Psychology Today asking the question, What Excites You?  Naturally, it dealt with the subject from a purely biological and cultural perspective.  What we find interesting is a quote from a previous article dating back to 1962 - Humans are wired to maximize their rewarding and positive emotions, and to minimize emotions that are negative.  It is true that we humans seek out things that will bring a reward.  Adam and Eve taught us that a very long time ago and it got us into a lot of trouble.  Along with this, the article suggests that excitement can become addictive.  Well, it doesn’t take a so-called Rocket Scientist to figure that out.  The problem here is the ability for us humans to properly deal with what excites us in life.   

Galatians 5:22-23 gives us the list of what we call the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control.  The last item on the list is meant to deal directly with what was previously mentioned: biology and culture.  Our biology can become the dominant force in our behavior and culture can become the primary consideration in decision making.  When that happens we simply become Adam and Eve all over again – starry eyed and totally curious by the shiny things in our life and easily tempted to take a bite.  One could wonder if the fruit of Eden was a persimmon which initially tastes sweet when raw but becomes bitter when ripe.  Clearly, sin does just that – offers sweetness initially and bitterness afterwards. 

God’s Word offers ways of dealing with our seemingly uncontrollable biological appetites and our cultural pressures, which say ‘conform or else suffer the consequences.’  Hebrews 11: 6 says, “… without faith it is impossible to please [God], for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”  Our excitement for God begins with what we believe about God which in turn leads to a faith so as to trust God with our life.  What we believe will certainly alter our behavior in one way or another.  For example, recently in Ecuador there are news reports that the USA is at war with Iran and that our country is closed to people coming in or trying to leave.  Travel is currently prohibited in the USA according to these news reports.  As a result, many people have cancelled their planned legal trips to the States.  And, many in Ecuador are trying to reach loved living here to urge them to be cautious where they go.  One word sums up these news reports – absurd!  Surely God must look at us humans at times and wonder, “why do they believe what they say they believe about me?” 

Good news as well as bad news will bring on excitement in our life.  The hope is that we will seek out the Good News which will excite us about everything relating to God.  The Apostle Paul was put into prison and he wrote a letter to the believers in Philippi while incarcerated.  It is hard to believe that one could find joyful excitement in such a situation.  But that did not deter Paul.  He wrote in his letter, “I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.  It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace.”  Without doubt he was excited when writing these words and we note that it was his thinking about other believers and about their faith that got him excited.  His hope was for these believers to also experience this same excitement as they considered what God was doing in their lives.  My prayer for you all is the same as Paul offered when he said, “it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ.”  Let’s get all excited and go tell everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord of all!  And, I hope you are excited about others who share the faith and the Grace of God.  Let these things control your thinking, your behavior and your decision making.  You will not be disappointed.

Pastor David