ZEAL FOR GOD!

Titus 2:12-14 AMP

It teaches us to reject ungodliness and worldly (immoral) desires, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives [lives with a purpose that reflect spiritual maturity] in this present age, 

[13] awaiting and confidently expecting the [fulfillment of our] blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 

[14] who [willingly] gave Himself [to be crucified] on our behalf to redeem us and purchase our freedom from all wickedness, and to purify for Himself a chosen and very special people to be His own possession, who are enthusiastic for doing what is good.


Zeal means to be committed and devoted to someone or something. Zealousness is to be warmly engaged or ardent in the pursuit of a matter. It is the passion or fervency we exhibit over an issue or relationship. Zeal should be a characteristic of our life. All the spiritual priorities that Paul lists in Romans 12:9-21 are dedicated service. Love is to be sincere. Evil is to be hated; good clung to tightly. There is to be mutual, honouring devotion to one another. All these are noble purposes that become a reality as we practice them out of deep devotion to Christ.

Our faith walk must be all about promoting good works that are Kingdom agenda-based to glorify the Father. As a character of good works, we should be zealously engaged for God in service above all else, according to Psalm 69:9. Even when men reproach us for our zeal, we should gladly bear it.

How passionate are you about the work of God, the matters of the Kingdom, and your spiritual race? How far would you go to see Heaven’s mandate carried out on earth? And how actively will you engage in them?

So many of us go after what we want with more diligence than we pursue spiritual things. Paul points out in Romans 10:2 that passion was not lacking in the Israelites; rather, they had a zeal for God, but their zeal was more to religious knowledge. Attending church and trying in their strength to be good people did not mean their zeal was for God. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to belong to the Lord. We can’t have an intimate relationship with the Lord without His holiness, according to Leviticus 20:26. Intimacy with God is our highest calling and should differentiate us from unbelievers and other religious groups.

We have all misplaced our zeal for the Lord while pursuing worldly and carnal pleasures. Haman was so consumed with his gain, pleasure, and status that he misplaced his zeal for the king who got him into office, as described in the book of Esther.

Our intense and eager passion for God should push us to want to forsake “other” things that may take the focus off the Lord. Whatever will cause us to lose the passion, or first love as described in Revelation 2:4, is not spiritually acceptable. We may be serving in one department in church with such zeal that we are noticed and complimented, but often this fervency is all about ourselves and earthly pursuits.

Paul had such passionate love for Judaism that he persecuted the church with the idea that he was looking out for “God,” as he says in Philippians 3:6-7. But his zeal was very personal as well, in wanting to preserve what was to him, his authentic Jewish background. If anyone could be said to be blameless in following the law, it was Paul. Everything he counted as gain through his passion, he finally saw as misplaced zeal.

Zeal can be a good or a bad thing, depending on how we express it and the motives behind it, like Paul. Where is the zeal for prayer, the word, and evangelism? Most Christians now want someone else to study and teach them; they leave the responsibility of their spiritual growth to third parties.

How about fellowship? Are you zealous for the house of God to attend fellowship however often is required? We should be like David in Psalm 69:9, declaring and allowing the zeal of God’s house to consume us.

PRAYER: Father, help me to be zealous for good and God’s work and for the zeal of your kingdom to consume me in Jesus’ name, amen.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/womenoflight/episodes/ZEAL-FOR-GOD-e2scpka

Follow the FRESH MANNA CHANNEL on Telegram: https://t.me/freshmdevo

Follow the FRESH MANNA CHANNEL on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va8y5tqAjPXP6kZdoX1j

EMAIL: TEEWOMENOFLIGHT@OUTLOOK.COM

WOULD YOU CONSIDER PARTNERING WITH US TO REACH MORE PEOPLE? 

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING US TO UPGRADE OUR RECORDING EQUIPMENT TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF OUR EPISODES. ANY CONTRIBUTION, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND GENEROSITY. 

SHALOM


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO START AGAIN!

Job 17:10-11 GW   "But now, all of you, come and try again! I won’t find one wise man among you.  My days are passing by. My plans are broken. My dreams are shattered."[10]   Life may require us to start again—and it’s never too late to start over. One of life’s certainties is that everyone will experience failure at something at some point. Life is never an unbroken series of victories. Setbacks, losses, and sometimes defeat will happen and may overwhelm us. Defeat may be thrust upon us by circumstance or by others, or we may defeat ourselves by our own thoughts and actions. When this happens, some give up, some persist until they succeed, and others are willing to start over again. Luke 7:11-15 gives the account of the widow of Nain, on her way to bury her only son, crying, distraught after losing another close family member. On the way, Jesus saw her, had compassion, and acted.  The woman must have thought, "Is He kidding? Does He know what I've been t...
Read more

DIVINE VISION!

Jeremiah 1:1-11 NASB The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, [2] to whom the word of the Lord came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. [3] It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month. [4] Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying, [5] “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” [6] Then I said, “Oh, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, Because I am a youth.” [7] But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am a youth,’ Because everywhere I send you, you shall go, And all that I command you, you shall speak. [8] “Do not be afraid of them, For I am with you to save you,” declares the Lord. [9] Then the Lord stretch...
Read more

RESISTANCE FROM STEPPING INTO PURPOSE!

John 16:33 AMPC I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.]   Stepping into your God-given purpose is one of the most powerful decisions you will ever make. But it is also one of the most resisted. The Bible makes it clear that whenever God calls a person, opposition rises—externally, internally, and spiritually. Jesus Himself tells us that trials will come, but His victory gives us courage and peace. Every believer must understand this: resistance is not a sign that you’re in the wrong place; it is often proof that you’re stepping into the right one. Everyone called by God faces resistance! Throughout Scripture, the moment people stepped into divine purpose, they faced pushback. ...
Read more