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6th June 2024
ThursdayReflection
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Nick Ihle
Groups Pastor at Traders Point Christian
Church
Zeal in the Bible: Maturing Our Passion into Diligent Pursuit
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What is zeal in the Bible?
At the beginning of this year, my sister-in-law let our family know that she was running the half marathon in Indianapolis.
Now, if you're a runner and have run a half marathon before, you may think this isn't a daunting task.
When people asked me if I was running with her, I would respond with the implication that I could if I wanted to.
Marissa has a passion to run.
Anyone can have a passion for something.
I can have the passion to wake up at 5 a.m. every day, read my Bible for 30 minutes, pray for 30 minutes, walk my dog, work out, and cook breakfast for my family, all before I have to go to work.
The real question - is, do I have the zeal to actually do it?
Think about "zealots" for example.
Simon the Zealot was one of Jesus' disciples.
Simon was a part of a political movement in the 1st century A.D. to rebel against the power of the Roman Empire in Israel.
They were tired of the oppression.
They were passionate about reestablishing Jewish culture and rule and driving Rome out of Judea.
But they weren't just passionate about it.
They put their passion to action.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul wrote,
"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord" (Romans 12:11, ESV),
and to the church in Corinth, he wrote,
"So also you-since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, seek to excel in building up the church" (1 Corinthians 14:12, CSB).
Paul's life exemplified zeal.
To take it even further, he wasn't just passionate about writing about zeal, we see him clearly living it out!
Marissa had ups and downs in her training plan.
There were days when she was excited to run the 8 or 9 miles, and there were days when she would rather jump off a cliff than spend her day running any distance whatsoever.
Our own spiritual journeys with God are usually marked by those same seasons or waves of emotion.
In some seasons we can be on fire and in tune with the Spirit and aware of what God is doing in our life.
Other seasons may seem like we're constantly fighting temptations and struggling to find a spiritual routine.
It's in those spiritually low seasons where God reminds me of zeal, the spiritual grit, that the power of the Holy Spirit gives me.
It's in the midst of temptation that I "press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me."
I must choose to put what I believe into action and commit to pursuing that action.
The passion to pursue my relationship with Jesus rarely goes away even in my low seasons.
I still long to have a spiritual routine and a desire to overcome temptation, but do I have it in me to take action to stop being stagnant?
Do I have the spiritual grit to not just set an alarm to read Scripture in the morning, but actually get out of bed when that alarm goes off? ?
So, what's that habit you've been telling yourself you ought to do in order to grow your relationship with Jesus or with other people?
That thing that you've been telling yourself you could do but just haven't?
Maybe you're passionate about it.
You talk about it. You pray about it.
But what are you going to do today to see that thing through?
><(((°>
Nick Ihle
is a Groups Pastor at Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis.
He is married to Marissa and they are expecting their first child in January 2024.
He attended Indiana Wesleyan University and graduated with a bachelors in Christian ministries and a masters in spiritual care.
He enjoys eating fantastic food, being outdoors with his family, and watching various sports including Ohio State football.
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