Christian Living
ROMANS 12:11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.(NIV)
Two words in the above scripture are not ones that we hear every day. But they are important because they give us understanding on how to serve the Lord.
ZEAL: great energy, a strong feeling of interest and enthusiasm that makes someone very eager or determined accomplish a great task or commission.
FERVOR: a strong feeling of excitement, energy and enthusiasm.
I remember when I first started getting closer with the Lord in 1999 a group of us from our local church would get together on nights when there was regular service and pray together. We would go to service on Sunday’s 2 hours early and pray over every chair.
We were all getting tested & attacked but we were all full of the zeal of the Lord. The zeal of the Lord carried us through every situation.
I remember once while visiting a neighboring church a pastor shared a sermon about zeal. He told a story about when he first came to the Lord. He was with a church group street witnessing in a fancy area of New Orleans.
That pastor was so full of the zeal of the Lord he went into an expensive jewelry store and shouted I love Jesus really loud all of the rich people in the store turned around and looked at him. He was full of the zeal of the Lord.
We all have stories to tell about the great things that we did when we first came to the Lord.
1. But what happened to our zeal and fervor?
2. How do we keep it and not lose it?
3. If we lose it how do we renew our zeal?
(1) To answer the first question. What happened to our zeal? I know that if the same group wanted to get together today every night. I don’t think I would have the same attitude I did 15 years ago. Maybe I would miss some of the meetings. Sometimes I don’t want to come to church. A lot of times God tells me to do things and I don’t do them.
So what happened how did I go wrong?
It becomes clearer if we read the same scripture in the New living Version.
Romans 12:11 Do not be lazy but always work hard. Work for the Lord with a heart full of love for Him.(NLT)
What makes us lazy in the world? Answer: Not doing what we are supposed to do.
In the Spiritual the same principle applies. We want to do what we want not what God wants. That is the same thing that happened to the prodigal son he did not want to work anymore in the house and fields. He wanted to do his own thing.
What makes us lose our zeal and fervor when serving the Lord. Disobeying the things that God and the authorities he put over us tell us to do. We start to want to do our own thing.
Disobedience is like a snowball. If we roll it too long it will turn into a snowman that snowman’s name will not be Frosty. If we stop doing the things God tells us we begin to get heavy weighed down burden and chained. So when God tells us to do something just do it don’t put it off.
In every ministry I have ever served in, I have had workers come to me and tell me they don’t want to serve they need time off because it has become a job. But it was always a job that is what serving God is!! Really what is going on is they have lost there fervor and zeal. They have walked in disobedience to the things that God told them to do.
(2)So how do we keep from losing our zeal and that strength that we had in the beginning? The answer is simple stay obedient.
Matthew 11:30 I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
If you stay obedient God will make sure he will carry all of the heavy burdens. If serving the Lord has become a burden and our zeal has left then we having begun rolling our own way. Disobedience makes the snowball to start rolling and get heavier.
There is an old saying. “Nip it in the Bud!” Meaning cut it off before it grows into something ugly. Obey God in the small things and listen and obey the small still voice and we will not have to carry any heavy loads our service will be easy he will do the hard work it will be easy to have zeal and fervor because you will not be weighed down.
If we look at the parable of the the prodigal son it was all about work. He was not playing with the pigs he was working for them. This happened because he was disobedient to the father. He realized his burden was light at home. Even his father’s servants did not work this hard. If he would have stayed home and obeyed he would have never gotten all of the hard work.
(3)So how to we throw off what this world has thrown on us and renew our strength and zeal?
We have to start the same way the prodigal son did. Confess. He said father I have disobeyed heaven and you I am sorry give me any other job you have but I am sick of this job the world has put on me.
Our pastor told a story recently that some of the workers came to him and called him because they felt burdened in there service.
They confessed to the pastor that they were wrong. They did not heed him on the service start times.
After they confessed the burden was stripped off of them and there zeal returned. The church has been on fire since then because they admitted there disobedience and began obeying again. The choir and the servants are full of zeal.
Hebrews 12:1 (part)let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.
Part of confessing is not just our disobedience to each other it is also to God. A lot of people ask me “why do you pray so much?” It is because I am very disobedient.
Remember that Adam and Eve did not get the covering from God until they began to talk to God and confess what they had done wrong. Don’t hide from God when you are wrong keep in contact with Him.
So be zealous and never be lazy in your service. Obey the little things he tells you to do. Don’t walk away from where the Lord has placed you and do your own thing. If you have confess that you have been lazy & disobedient know that you are wrong and stay in prayer.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
Reader Count & Comments
Date
The opinions expressed by authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com. This is especially true with articles that
deal with personal healthcare and prophecy. We encourage the reader to make their own decision in consultation with God, His Word, and others as needed.
This article has been read 899 times < Previous | Next >
Read more articles by Wade Nye or search for other articles by topic below.
This article has been read 899 times < Previous | Next >
Search for articles on: (e.g. creation; holiness etc.)
Read more by clicking on a link:Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.