Z for Zeal

UV 917-10,000 Z for Zeal Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Romans 12 v 11 This uni-verse is the very definition of zeal. We are to show due diligence as well as extraordinary diligence in our work, whatever field we might be in. We need to take care and time to be familiar with the rules of our business. Just as the different members of the body especially, the heart, the brain, the lungs, the kidneys, the liver work round the clock and do not set time limits for their functioning, we should be prepared to fulfil our responsibilities without setting time limits. Last evening I had a visit from Dr David Wong who taught us at the Haggai Leadership seminar at the turn of the century. When I explained to him the eqthinking thought process I had developed, he said, “ What you are saying resonates with what Dr John Haggai teaches-when you stay with a matter long enough, you will accomplish what you are aiming for.” Indeed, diligence implies perseverance and persistence. We need to go beyond the call of mere duty and stray into the area of being passionate about our work. When we are ready to go the extra mile any time and all the time, we will end up going a thousand miles further or in other words, our productivity would be a thousand times more. My style of working is that soon after I join a new assignment, I think hard about the core issues and capture the essence in a concept that can be easily communicated and implemented by all others who are working with me. For example, the simple principle of eqthinking –“ be at it, beat it” enables people to go the extra mile, one mile at a time. Last evening a lady with whom I briefly shared the idea sent a message, “ My vitamin for today is BEAT IT. My faith has been strengthened.” Thinking hard about the core issues is an essential part of diligence. We can be hard working with our hands and legs without applying our mind much. The Lord wants us to put our heart, mind and soul into the work at hand. The reward is mentioned in scripture, “He who is diligent will not stand before ordinary people but before kings.” Lo and behold, one day I was literally standing before Her Majesty the Queen, Elizabeth II and talking with her. Take the case of the young Pakistani girl Malala- she has met President Obama and the Queen and everyone else is vying to meet her on account of her extreme courage and passion for education in the face of death. Zeal also implies that we need to be devoted or fervent in spirit. We must be filled with enthusiasm or the very energy of God and the joie de vivre or the joy of living. Our attitude cannot be slack for Jesus tells us, “Don’t be slack for I will be back.” I was listening to someone on Ted talks the other day and liked the way he put it, “ fire, faith and focus.” Zeal is an undying fire burning in us, an unshakeable and unflagging faith in God’s love and promises, a sharp focus on pleasing our Heavenly Master in all things, written and spoken, thought, said and done. Earlier we were slaves or in bondage to sin, death and satan. We were born in captivity, sold into slavery without our knowledge or our consent. But now that we are set free forever, we are willing and ready servants of the Lord. All our faculties should now be focussed on serving Him who set us free. True freedom is not living in the lap of luxury or sloth but focussing all our attention and energy on fulfilling our responsibilities and so serving the Lord. The word ‘zeal’ starts with the letter “Z” which in the Greek is Omega or God Almighty, ‘e’ stands for energy and enthusiasm, ‘a’ for attitude of diligence and gratitude, and ‘l’ for love. Prateep V Philip