Paul encouraged believers to "never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord" (Romans 12:11). So what is zeal? And what is spiritual fervor?
Zeal is an eagerness to do something. Implied in the eagerness is readiness. So believers are to be prepared, able, willing, and enthusiastic to do something. An opposite condition would be laziness or inactivity. We act exactly opposite Paul's command when we sit back and do nothing.
In his commentary on Romans, Robert Mounce wrote, "Believers are to be aglow with the Spirit. The life-giving presence of the Holy Spirit radically alters the way a person lives... A Spirit-filled believer by definition cannot be dull and boring. That would be a contradiction in terms." Spiritual fervor is being on fire for the Lord because of his indwelling Spirit.
The zeal and spiritual fervor are expressed in service to the Lord. Are you serving the Lord or sitting by while others serve him? Is the Spirit working in your life to bring about acts of service? Don't quench the fires of service placed within you by God.
You serve the Lord when you serve others. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 25 that serving others by clothing them, feeding them, befriending them, and helping them equals doing those same things for him. And believers are identified by such acts of service.
So serve the Lord today with zeal and spiritual fervor!
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