There is none like Jesus. He is worthy of our full devotion, yet we often take Him for granted. I know I did. Sometimes I think about the years I wasted and I regret it. Sometimes I think about choices I made that hinder my ability to serve Him even now as I’d like to. Yet, I also know that He is in control.
Grace is an amazing thing. I’m thankful to have experienced grace in such a way as to know that Jesus is the beginning and ending of our salvation.
I could not create zeal for Jesus within myself anymore than I could “add one cubit to my stature.” It simply was not in me. I fell asleep if I tried to read my bible. I seldom prayed. I was mostly consumed with this life and pursuing personal goals. I was ambitious, yet also very emotionally damaged, so I made some “bad” life choices that led me into rapid ruin.
It was the grace of God that kept a seed of faith within me, so that I could reach out to Jesus in one last plea for Him to show me the truth before I gave up on the faith or adopted a corrupted version of it. He answered and lit a fire in my heart that turned me to Him in a real and meaningful way.
I could not simply create this in myself. So, I sympathize with people who believe in the facts of Jesus, but something is missing in heart, and I know that it is the grace of God towards us that we can have a sincere desire for the Lord.
Because of this, I do not want to beat down people who have trouble feeling zealous for Jesus. There might be some good reasons. Maybe there are some common Christian teachings that are problematic for you. Maybe you’ve been treated badly by Christians or by churches. Maybe you haven’t been instructed in the scriptures in a way that speaks to where you are and leads you to Christ. Maybe there are just too many distractions in this life.
I don’t know how to inspire zeal in people. I would that I could. What I can do is tell you that I know for a fact that faith and zeal for Jesus comes from God, so don’t let anyone tear you down because of your lack and don’t tear yourself down either.
Instead, reach out to Jesus. Sometimes all we have is a thin thread of faith, and if you have that, know that God gave it and He is faithful to give you everything that you need.
We serve the Alpha and Omega—the Beginning and the End. All things were made by Him and for Him. He holds all things, even the keys of death and life. He sees all. He knows all. His word searches hearts, heals hearts, and cuts away dead things that keep us from Him. His authority is second to none and He will not be moved by the whims of man or by the failings of our faith. The Fullness of the Spirit of God is Him, and He gives of Himself to whoever He chooses as He chooses. The Kingdom and all the riches thereof are of Him and He will grant authority to those who are faithful to Him—and it is by Him that we are made faithful. Yet, we are participants in this process, so let us seek Him, knowing that He will save all who belong to Him because He is Faithful and True. He is God with us. He is the Creator. He is the Redeemer. Any good thing we receive came from Him and any good works we do in His name is only made possible by His working in us.
He is in full control and all things are of Him, by Him, and for Him. When we really get this, we come to know grace—which is the undeserved favor of God.
Seek the grace of God. Ask Him to look favorably upon you, though you are a sinner, because you know that there is nothing you can do to be anything else because all goodness is of God. See your poverty in heart and know that all riches are of God through Jesus Christ alone. It is all Him. Seek Him and keep seeking Him.
There is nothing and no one more worthy to be honored. All things fall short of Him, and without Him, we have nothing. We can spend our whole lives living to the fullest, but if we do not have Jesus, we don’t have anything.
Yet, we also don’t have the proper perspective to know just how “wretched, miserable, poor, and naked” we are. If the grace of God is for us, we will see. We will turn to Jesus because He is our Salvation.
There is no room for lukewarm in the Kingdom of Heaven. We cannot receive of someone we do not desire to know and order our lives around. Get to know Jesus and see for yourself how great He is, and when you do, you won’t be able to resist loving Him as you see how much better He is than all the dead things in this world.
No matter where we are in our walk, no matter how zealous or lack thereof, there is always more to gain in Jesus. There is always more to seek. We can always live for Him better. Let’s keep looking to Him so He can search our hearts, show us our lack, show us the way and give us more of Himself. “Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hears my voice, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me.”
We do not want to be of the spirit of the Church of Laodicea, and I trust that we will not be–we who love Him will find renewed zeal for Jesus. He Is Everything.
Jesus Alone 