Be Fervent In Spirit: Serve The Lord

Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.(Romans 12:11).

Life does get boring sometimes. Suddenly, the things that gives us joy doesn't again. The same thing can happen to a believer in the Christian walk which inadvertently affects our passion for spiritual things. Our hearts get cold. We become slothful--lazy--a state every believer must guard against.

The church is one of the many means God has ordained for our growth; where our faith is sharpened and built up. When we are saved, God places us in a community of believers to be built up and to in turn build others up. The church--an assembly of the called out ones--like the human body has many parts. Each part of the human body has a part to play. The eye can't claim superiority over the legs. Every part of the body has its specific role. No part of the body is insignificant.

In that same comparison, every believer, as a member of the body of Christ has a significant role to play. We are not independent isolated members of the body of Christ. As members of the body of Christ, we all have a part to contribute to its growth. Paul brings this point home in the earlier verses of Romans 12. In verse 4-5, he says

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another

As members of the body, we are all endowed with gifts and abilities for the building and growth of the body of Christ. In the words of John MacArthur, "The church is a living, breathing organism that functions as life and breath on the basis of the ministry of each member to minister to the others. This is why the church is seen as a body and every one of us as a member of that body. We have a function in harmony and symphony with every other member." We see this further clearly spelt out in vs 6-8.

Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Despite these rich endowment of gifts each member of the body of Christ has, many believers sit idle without making their gifts benefit the body. They are almost non-existent though they are physically present. Why? Either they have not identified their gifts or think of themselves and their gifts as insignificant or worse still they are simply lazy. Having the knowledge we are all gifted in the body, it is mandatory we take steps to identify our gifts and be actively involved in building the body. Many are actively and passionately involved in other things apart from service to the Lord. Like the third person in the parable of the talents, many believers have buried their gifts and are making no returns on it.

Certainly when the Master returns, they will  hear Him say to them "You wicked and slothful servant!"(Matt 25:26). Not to put our gifts to the benefits of others in the body of Christ is wickedness and slothfulness--laziness.

In Revelations, Christ warns against lukewarmness. God demands of us to be fervent in service to Him. We are to present [ourselves] as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is [our] spiritual worship(Rom 12:1). This imperative cannot be obeyed without making ourselves available as vessels in God's kingdom.

Are you idle and uninvolved in God's kingdom? It is time to get active. Pray that God will help you find your gift to put to use in the building of His kingdom.