GALATIANS 1:14
“and I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries among my countrymen, being more extremely zealous for my ancestral traditions.”
Okay, I have to admit it – I’m an avid Georgia Bulldog fan. I went to school at the University of Georgia, so it’s my school. I am especially a football fan. I have enjoyed the past few seasons with the success the team has had. But I know it is only a sport and that life does not hang in the balance with each win or loss. There are some fans, however, who are truly fanatics. They live and die with each ballgame. Zealous for the wrong reason!
Paul admits in verse 14 that he, too, was zealous for the wrong reasons. The Greek word for “zealous” comes from the root word zeo which mans to be hot enough to boil. Paul was, indeed, a zealot for the Jewish faith, even chasing down the early believers, throwing them in jail and even approving of their death. Remember, he was present when Stephen was stoned to death. He was zealous but for the wrong thing.
APPLICATION
In Luke 6:15, we find one of Jesus’ apostles was called a zealot. “…and Simon who was called the Zealot;” Simon was a zealot over fighting for freedom from the Romans. When Jesus called him to be one of his chosen twelve, his zeal was changed from seeking freedom militarily to seeking freedom spiritually. Paul was no exception. Instead of seeking to arrest early Christians, he was arrested by God on that Damascus road and finally set free. Now, he was extremely zealous for Christ. He was even willing to risk his own life spreading the good news of the Gospel.
1 Corinthians 14:12 speaks to us all regarding the correct zeal we should pursue. “So you too, since you are eager to possess spiritual gifts, strive to excel for the edification of the church.” Instead of trying to obtain spiritual supremacy, we should be zealous to build up the body of Christ, the church. God has given each of us gifts for the body. Those are the things we should seek, not for ourselves, but for others.
The older I get, the less attention or praise I seek. I had rather serve behind the scenes and quietly watch others get blessed than seek my own accolades. When I do receive recognition, I want to be quick to give it all back to Him. I want to be zealous for Jesus, nothing else. Only He really matters. I want to boil over for Him. How about you?
I praise You, Lord, for giving me the zeal I need each day. Boil me over in passion for You.