Thoughts on Romans 12:11

Continuing his admonitions, Paul tells us, "do not be slothful in zeal".

"Consider", the writer of Hebrews says in chapter 12, "him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.

Christ gave His very life for us. As he prayed in the garden before His death, he was in such agony that blood was mixed with the sweat that fell down his face. He was beaten, hung to a cross by nails, pierced in the side. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins." Christ shed that blood so that our sins would be counted void. Hebrews points to this sacrifice to renew the reader's zeal to follow Christ.
Zeal is defined as "great energy or enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause or an objective". We are to serve the Lord with enthusiasm. He gave His life for us, and we get the chance to give our lives to him!

I want to mention something here. You don't have to do big things to serve with zeal. In fact, the small things are often the most important. And you may have already gotten that from some of my other posts, but I just wanted to say it right here, without question. There are many ways this is true, but thinking of serving with zeal, I want to mention this. There is a precious older lady I know who isn't capable of doing much that others think of when they think of being "noticed" around the church. But she is, very clearly, such a big part of our church family. Her notes and happy greetings, her encouragement and admonitions to those she sees every week, I know mean as much to others as they do to me. She might not be able to take care of every need. But those that she can meet are met with joy in serving, with an enthusiasm that brings a smile to your face.

That doesn't mean that we should ditch those bigger needs that do still need filled. If we all did that, there would be chaos. But my point is, what you can do, do with joy for the Lord. Not begrudgingly, and not to "make our light shine". But joyfully, that Christ may increase :).

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:9&10)