“Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” – Matthew 22:37,39 (NIV)
Welcome to the 22nd weekly devotional recap of the year. This week, we learnt about zeal and its place in living a life of purpose.
We began the week with a charge to be consumed with zeal for God and His work. God desires believers who, like Jesus, won’t sit idle while the temple is desecrated (John 2:14-17). The believer is now the dwelling place of God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), which means zeal must now burn fervently within you, not for a building, but for the purposes of God. God desires a people purified, passionate, and zealous for good works (Titus 2:14), so anything that pollutes His temple—sin, complacency, or distractions—must be driven out. Guard your temple, keep the altar aflame, and let the zeal that consumed Jesus consume you too.
On Tuesday, we learnt about a very important aspect of fulfilling purpose: bearing each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2, Matthew 22:34-40). The Christian walk is a journey of selflessness. In Christ, you’ve been given a new nature; one that no longer lives for selfish ambition, but sees the needs of others and responds with compassion (Philippians 2:19-21). You have been called to a life of love, and your heart should yearn with the zeal to bear the burdens of others: emotional, financial, spiritual, or otherwise as much as you are able.
Wednesday’s devotional encouraged us to be intentional about leaving behind a godly legacy. We have biblical precedence for this: Abraham passed a blessing to Isaac, who passed it to Jacob and Esau, and from Jacob came the twelve tribes of Israel (Genesis 49:1-28). Also, when Jesus was about to leave the earth, He gave His disciples the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Your example of faith can become a spiritual inheritance that outlives you. Ensure that the legacy you pass on to the next generation is a treasure that is eternal and will last in heaven (Matthew 6:19-20). Let God be able to count on you to do this (Genesis 18:17-19).
OnThursday, we were instructed to be intentional about doing our secular work to the best of our ability (Ecclesiastes 9:10). Whatever your hands find to do, do it wholeheartedly and with excellence because it matters to God (Colossians 3:23). Time is a limited and precious resource given by God (Ephesians 5:16), and He wants us to steward it well. Abominate mediocrity and lukewarmness, and be deliberate about building competence and continuously improving your craft. Let this be the mark of your life and labour: bold, competent, and zealous not for the applause of men, but for the glory of God.
We ended the week with an emphasis on bearing each other’s burdens, with a focus on looking out for the helpless (Isaiah 1:17). Your passion for God should move you to love, defend, and serve the vulnerable. One way to know your heart is truly aligned with God’s is by your love for the people He loves. You are God’s representative on earth. You have been raised to be a blessing, and it must show through your selfless generosity toward the needy, your boldness in standing up for the voiceless, and your consistency in prayer for them (Psalm 82:3-4). The helpless should not have to search for signs of God’s love when you are present, they should see it in you.
Dear believer, let your love for Jesus and commitment to purpose show in your zeal for the things He is zealous about. From today, be intentional about ensuring that your actions match the declaration of your faith in and love for God.
Have a blessed weekend!
Bible Reading Plan: 2 Chronicles 1-6; Luke 9:28-10:12