we see the same sights that our fathers have seen,
we drink the same stream, and we feel the same sun,
and we run the same course that our fathers have run.
The thoughts we are thinking, our fathers would think;
from the death we are shrinking, they too would shrink;
to the life we are clinging to, they too would cling;
but it speeds from the earth like a bird on the wing.”– Excerpt from “Mortality” by William KnoxHave you ever seen one of those old-fashioned zombie flicks? You know the kind – rotting flesh, oozing eyeballs, undead monsters with outstretched arms and dilapidated jaws gargling “me huuuuungry” while chasing people down the street….well, you get the picture.
I think we can all agree that the zombies in these throwback films are quite literally all the same. You know…no zombie individuality, no zombies thinking outside the box, no heart-warming zombie sensitivity to be found. Let’s be real; when it comes to the minds of these walking dead, their singular thought process is as simple as: chase, kill, eat, repeat. Basically sums it all up.
What I want to consider today is that sometimes we as christians can have this same zombie-zeal. Now at face value, that doesn’t sound half bad, right? After all, they are pretty zealous to meet their desired goal of chomping down on every brain within reach! Even so, their mode leaves much to be desired, in the fact that they are overtly goal-oriented…looking to their destination without giving thought to any intricate and willful planning in order to arrive at that destination. In the end, humans conquer these guys every time, because zombies simply have no insight in their one-track minds!
In the same way, we christians can become so lost in our goal that we never evaluate our intent, our plan of action. In some ways it can be to our detriment to “run the same course that our fathers have run” (as in the poem above). Yet perhaps they were genuine and righteous in their zeal, so how could our imitation be a negative thing?
Friends, it is because we are running off of borrowed zeal, which will set us up for inevitable failure.
Consider that each christian has their own unique part in God’s plan. All it takes is a short study of 1 Corinthians 12 or Ephesians 4 to know this to be true. We must identify the gifts that we have, and seek to have a zeal all our own. This is the only way we will reach our full potential as an active servant of the King! Sometimes what was good for “our fathers” is completely beneficial for our ministry, sometimes partly beneficial, and sometimes it’s best to simply let their methods stay in the past. A good rule of thumb is to never be zealous over anything merely based on the fact that someone we respect is zealous about it. For our faith to be genuine it must be our own.
In Galatians 1:14-16, Paul recalls that before his conversion, at the time he was persecuting Christians, he had been “exceedingly zealous of the tradition of his fathers”. Yet he goes on to say that after God’s will was made known to him, he “immediately conferred not with flesh and blood”. In other words, the zeal that he once had (while genuine), was misplaced. In fact, his zeal was causing him to commit sin! We do not want to fall into the same error. God’s will ought to trump traditions, old habits, and blood ties every time.
Here are three things we need to know about our zeal to surpass “zombie” level christian (otherwise known as “novice”):
First of all, what is the source of our zeal – is it our feelings, or the Truth? Are we zealous because it makes us feel good about ourselves, or are we seeking to fulfill God’s will through the individual gifts he has given each one of us?
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. – Romans 10:2
Secondly, how can we methodically utilize our zeal to lift up the church and minister to the lost? Do our ideas sound good only in theory, or are we personally going to take a step in the right direction and begin working for the common good?
“…Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. – 1 Corinthians 14:12
Lastly, are we insightful enough to change gears should our methods prove unsuccessful? Are we strong enough to keep trudging on in the face of adversity, knowing that God is glorified by our diligence?
And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. – Numbers 25:13
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Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light! (Eph. 5:14)
Ladies, let us no longer be spiritual zombies…dead inside though physically alive. Our God wants us to be a shrewd and thriving people – a people who can victoriously proclaim: “our zeal is the real deal“. One that has the right source, the right utilization, and the right endurance.
God bless, and take a chill pill!
Mrs. Dustin Bolks
Mrs. Dustin Bolks is a church of Christ preacher’s wife, and the home educating mother of two children. She and her family currently reside in Northwest Iowa.