Romans 12:11
Several weeks ago my mother experienced a hernia which caused intestinal blockage, the result of which was intense pain. Elderly and confused, she was struggling with her situation and when she was taken to the hospital we had no idea a simple surgery could straighten things out.
My sister and I spent a stress-filled night in the hospital sitting up all night long at her bedside until we could meet with a doctor in the morning. It is times like that when we realize that our love for another person has no set amount of time, no limit in hours.
How long do you care for a loved one? The love continues forever.
Such is the case with our faith and our approach to loving God. How long do we have a fervor for God’s kingdom and the work of God’s love? It is never-ending.
What does Paul say about it in his letter to the Romans?
We can grow tired in our daily labors. We can grow weary with our jobs. Taking care of our homes can be a burden. Planning meals can become tedious, and we may reach that point when we simply want a break from it all.
The same can be felt in our spiritual walk. The challenges of being a Christian may seem to be too much for us. We may feel that there is only so much we can do to serve the Lord.
And those who commit to doing work for God can grow frustrated and tired with the lack of results – or at least tangible, visible results – of serving God. We can often feel that we have done all we can and there is nothing left to be done.
Still others commit to a certain amount of time. They serve the church or do ministry for a set number of years and then step back. It’s time for others to take on the work.
But Paul encourages all believers to hold on to that fervor and zeal in serving God. We need to spur ourselves on continually, allowing God’s love and Holy Spirit to charge us up and move us forward.
There is no end to the love we should have for the people of God. Our ministry is a ministry of a lifetime. We should live out the love and mercy of God all the time and in places.
DAILY CHALLENGE: How do you keep your spiritual fervor?
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