"Do not be slothful in zeal.”

Romans 12:11-13

“Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

I’m a very young 70’esh so maybe it’s an age thing, but to the best of my understanding I do not recall anyone using the words in my hearing; “Do not be slothful in zeal.”  I, like you, have many areas where improvement would be welcome, but in my case being slothful, lazy, inactive or lethargic just do not fit my personality.  But what about in zeal, you know having enthusiasm, being passionate, one of my strong gifts in my business life and also with my family, and yes, we also need to be fervent.  Now that is not a word I recall my mother saying, “Bobby you need to be fervent in your spirit, as you serve the Lord.”  But she often used words that had the same meaning like eager, enthusiastic, or even passionate in serving the Lord.

First, it requires one to open the Bible and read, but if one reads words that seem like Greek maybe it would be helpful to have a dictionary next to your Bible and look up words that are not common in the language you use daily.

Now we get to Scripture that is very clear to this writer, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”  Do you find it easy to rejoice in hope?  Maybe you just take it as an entitlement.  The problem with entitlements is they are given at the cost of another, they should never be considered a right, but a blessing.  Are we not told to have this hope in us that is found in 1John 3:2-3, “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.  And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”  Do you recall the song; “My hope is fixed on nothing less than Jesus Christ and His righteousness,” is your hope fixed on Jesus?

What about being patient in tribulation, being constant in prayer?  C.S. Lewis had this to say about the subject; “God who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.”  And Martin Luther said this on the subject; “No man ought to lay a cross upon himself, or to adopt tribulation, as is done in pope dome; but if a cross or tribulation come upon him, then let him suffer it patiently, and know that it is good and profitable for him.”  Do you recall Jesus saying, “I have said these things to you, that in me you will have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation.  But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

Could it be that you and I are letting the uncertainty of our leadership and the darkness of our culture steal the peace we have through faith in our mighty God?  If so read and ponder Romans 5:1-5, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  How we need men who have faith in a big God, men who have been tested in the fire of tribulation, to stand in faith, to put on the armor of faith and do battle.  The battle is not won by the might of men, but when men bow their knees to a holy God in prayer, and rise up as warriors of the cross.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice