“But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.” Galatians 4:18
Z is for zeal. Zeal means eagerness, ardent or fervent interest or pursuit of something. I like to see zeal as it’s synonym passion, which refers to a deep stirring within.
There is something inside each one of us that produces a zeal or passion to rise up out of our comfy beds every morning. It is a driving force that comes from deep within and pushes us forward into another day. It may be a job, it may be a person, it may be a hobby, or it may even be the almighty dollar.
I do not know what your zeal or your passion is, but be assured that if I were to follow you around for one day … or maybe even less than a day … I could pretty accurately pinpoint what your passion is. In fact, it may take as little as 15 minutes of scrolling through your social media presence. What do you think? If you are still in doubt, I challenge you to go to your social media accounts and scroll through. What do you think the world and others see there … not what YOU see, but what THEY see?
I have not always been the Christian that I need to be. I am by far not perfect and truly, the more that I study and try to get closer to God, the more unworthy and immature I see myself. The more that I learn from God and His Word, the more that I see that I need to learn. God is giving me a passion for Him and I so desire the same for you, my friend!
I know that Noah doubted God at first, but can you imagine how he felt while he was building the ark? There was just the handful of them, and when he looked around, what did he see? He saw everyone else doing their own thing like it was simply just another ordinary day. Yes, some took note of what was going up, but what did they do? They ridiculed Noah.
My heart is grieved for those who claim to be my brothers and sisters in Christ and yet, they show no signs of zeal or passion or love for our Lord. They put anything and everything in front of God, His Word, His church and His people. They live a life that is completely and totally self-centered and self-motivated. What is wrong with this picture? Yes, there is something wrong here, my friend!
In Galatians 4:9 it says, “But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?” If you are truly saved, it is a sin to not follow after God. Why would you want to put yourself back in bondage when Christ has so richly and freely given you the liberty to love and to serve Him? Why, my friend? Why?
Lesson Objective: To understand what zeal is. To acknowledge our sin of lack of zeal for God and the things of God.
Did you pass or did you fail?