Zealous for God

Zealousness for God has lost its appeal within Christianity. The reason is because of the religious zealots. They are doing things in the name of their religion, but not in then name of the Lord God of the Bible. 

Growing up I kept hearing, and sadly repeating, “Christians are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.” And the church has so accepted this mantra that many Christians today are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good. 

When we look back at the first church as described in Acts, we aspire to its level. But according to Leonard Ravenhill, “We are so subnormal these days that the normal New Testament experience seems abnormal.” 

We’re so worried about what others might say that we’ve toned down our faith, and as a result we’ve stopped taking up our crosses and following Jesus. 

Maybe it’s time to be despised. 

When David was bringing the Ark of the Covenant back to the tabernacle in Jerusalem it says that he danced before the Lord with all his might, leaping and whirling before God and others wearing nothing but a linen cloth (2 Samuel 6:15). 

His wife, Michal, saw this display and despised him in her heart, telling him how shameful his actions were in the sight of others. But David didn’t mind, because it was for God not for others. 

“I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes.” (2 Samuel 6:21b, 22)

To encourage His followers not to succumb to the criticism of others Jesus said, “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first … you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)

Let’s be like David and be zealous for God, and receive as a badge of honor when people despise us because of it.