Our Eagerness

In my last post, I wrote about Paul's first "I am" statement found in Romans chapter 1. Today, I want to look at the second "I am" found in the very next verse. He first wrote, "I am under obligation." Now he writes, "I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome." (v. 15)

The word eager is a significant word. It is the Greek word prothumos which is translated eager in most translations. It means ready and willing. The root of the word, thumos, give us further insight. It means passion or heat boiling up and soon subsiding again.

As I chewed on this awhile, what came to my mind was spaghetti cooking on the stove. I've put on a big pot of spaghetti before, turned it on high, and walked away waiting for it to come to a boil. After forgetting about it, I was quickly reminded by the sound of water spilling over the rim of the pot and hitting the hot burner and instantly turning to steam. Well, I run to the stove and remove it from the heat in order for the boiling to subside.

That is the nature behind this word, eager. Paul was so passionate about preaching the gospel to those in Rome it was boiling out of him. The water wasn't just warming up, it was hot and cookin'. The gospel inside Paul was ready to spew out of him with hot intensity. It could not be contained much longer. The only way for his eagerness to be satisfied was for the gospel to be preached.

I am ashamed to admit that the gospel in me seems to be on simmer.

Oh Father, Your gospel is priceless, precious, and powerful; yet I treat it so casually. Forgive me for my lack of eagerness in preaching the gospel. I know that it can only come to a boil by being place upon the burner of Your Spirit. Fan to flame my eagerness for Your gospel that others might be saved for Your name's sake. In Jesus' name. Amen.