Most ideas begin with enthusiasm. People hear something that grabs their interest. They are ready to jump in and get going. They start off with no intent of ever stopping. Then something happens. Their enthusiasm wanes.
It takes longer than anticipated to get something done. Others don’t buy in as quickly. Resistance crops up from unexpected sources. What began with gusto erodes into a slog of just trying to get done.
An idea with enthusiasm never lasts long. Many great ideas have fallen to the side at the expense of expended enthusiasm. What you need, along with enthusiasm, is realistic action.
There was a group of people who had committed themselves to give funds toward a project. It began well. People stepped up. Then the slog began. It was not as easy as they thought. Issues began to rise up that tended to distract them from their original pledge. Their beginning enthusiasm was being sapped.
Someone stepped in and gave them this advice, “Having started the ball rolling so enthusiastically, you should carry this project through to completion just as gladly, giving whatever you can out of whatever you have. Let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equalled by your realistic action now.” (2 Cor. 8:11).
Reread the final sentence, “Let your enthusiastic idea at the start be equalled by your realistic action now.” Enthusiasm was a wonderful way to begin, but to complete it, realistic action was needed.
Without realistic action ideas fade away. Without realist action dreams perish. Without realistic action there is no achievement.
Realistic action counts the costs. Realistic action makes plans. Realistic action, in the midst of an unenthusiastic spirit, moves one step further. Realistic action resists the easy, and navigates the difficult.
Where have you loss your enthusiasm? What might you do to implement some realistic action? Lessened enthusiasm doesn’t mean the idea is not solid. It just means you need act realistically to make it happen.