The video game Burnout 3: Takedown was named by both PlayStation Magazine and Xbox Magazine as their game of the year in 2004. The first time I saw it was at our local Walmart. This was back when they had consoles hooked up to screens above the videogame displays to let you demo the games. I was mesmerized. I remember being so excited telling my mom about this amazing video game. We didn’t have an Xbox at home, nor did I have any money to buy, but I was convinced I had to get it just so I could play that game.
Around that same time I remember watching my classmate Bobby follow our algebra teacher around the classroom telling her about some videogame he was playing. He was so excited telling her “I was THIS close! This close to getting it.” In spite of his enthusiasm, though, my teacher was not replicating the same excitement. She simply went about her normal routine setting up her classroom before the start of the day.
Excited Conversations
I am thinking about this because earlier today I was helping my friends at their football tailgate. As I was walking around I couldn’t help but overhear the loud conversations people were having. For a surprising amount of the people there, the conversations revolved around getting drunk. These people were already in a state of drunkenness, and the thing they were shouting and talking about was getting drunk.
I had a similar experience as in college. I went to a party with a girl who was in a sorority. She seemed to know a lot of people there, and every time she approached someone new the conversations revolved around getting high. These kids were being rebellious and they were excited about this.
“You’ve talked about video games, alcohol and weed. Great. What’s your point, Raul?”
Well, people get excited about all kinds of random things. But are they worth getting excited about?
What Is The Desired Outcome?
In the South, people get excited about football. I get greatly excited about Formula 1. My eyes light up and my voice gets loud when I talk about it. The reason that people love sports is because of competition. In competition there is the possibility that the person that we want to win might be the winner. There is excitement because there is the possibility that some sort of outcome that we desire might happen. There is some sort of hope that the desire that we have might be fulfilled by our team or player or athlete.
People are this way with almost everything that they get excited about. People love video games because of the fulfillment that they get from them. “I was so close! THIS close!” said Bobby. He was excited about completing or beating that one level, or to getting that one accomplishment. What about drugs or alcohol? People get so excited about the good time that they hope to get when they get their stimulant of choice.
People get excited about a new house, a new car, a new city, a new pet, a new toy, a new restaurant. Heck, even when we are excited about meeting someone, or getting together with someone we already know, there is a certain expectation or a certain outcome that we hope the other person will fulfill.
Excitement Equals Hope
We talk about the things that we are excited about with some degree of hope. There is a certain level of confidence that the thing that we want, or something that we want to happen, will be fulfilled by this thing that we are excited about.
We might not know it, and we might not explicitly say it, but it is plain to see in the way that we talk about these things. It is present in the emotions that these things that get us excited bring up. If we were to be honest with ourselves, often, the things we are excited about are where our hope lies. We hope the vacation will be restful. We hope for the promotion at work. Guys hope she will say yes. College graduates hope the interview goes well.
Hope Is An Exciting Concept All On Its Own
Hope is an exciting thing all on its own. When someone is in despair, and suddenly they get a “glimpse of hope” there is excitement. If someone has a need, and they get told that there is someone who can fulfill that need, there is excitement. When a team is on a winning streak, there is good reason to be excited.
In Luke chapter 10 we see Jesus gathering a band of 72 disciples. These guys were different from the 12 disciples we all know (you know, Matthew, Luke, John, etc.), but He gave them the same authority. Jesus gave this group of men a task. He sent them in pairs and told them to prepare every town for his coming.
When these people came back they were excited. They said “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.”
Well heck, what a thing to be excited about!
Jesus even goes on to tell them “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you”. What a statement!
Yet, in the same breath, Jesus also tells them “… do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
Something Better To Be Excited About
Jesus said “but instead rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” He was telling the people He sent not to put their hope on the fact that demons submit to them. He was telling them not to put their hope on the miracles they were doing. Instead put your hope on the fact that your names are written in heaven. Man. What a crazy thing to say!
Surely healing people is something to be excited about! I’m sure the people who were tormented by demons were excited about being freed from them. Surely helping someone is a good thing and a worthy cause to be excited for. Yet, Jesus calls for something more permanent. It’s not that Jesus wasn’t glad or happy with them. He is asking his followers not to focus on the immediate, but rather, to see into the eternal. He was giving them something better to be excited about.
What Are You So Excited About?
In this life it is so easy to be excited about the wrong thing. Not that getting excited about everyday things is wrong. There are definitely evil things no one should be excited about, but there are also good things that are worthy of celebration. However, if excitement translates to where our hope lies, then we must be observant to where we put our hope.