“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:11)

(Editor’s Note: The following is taken from my Bible Talk Leaders Meeting lesson from last Sunday. I thought it was particularly important to address the sins of joylessness and lacking zeal. ELB)

Few things are as pronounced as true Christian joy. Different than most people, the joy of a disciple is not dictated by their external circumstances. Instead, it is manifested through a connection to an unchanging, unsparing, and almost unbelievable God! The Christians in the Bible, not unlike the Christians of today, faced many hardships and challenges. And yet, their joy was unmistakable. Interestingly, the word “enthusiasm” is rooted in this concept. Etymologically, it comes from two Greek root words: en and theism. En means near, at, in, on, or within; and theism means God. Literally, the word “enthusiasm” is derived from God being “in” someone. This is not hype, or forced excitement. Enthusiasm is the natural response to God’s Holy Spirit being in someone and working in their life. Simply put, it is a fruit of the Spirit! (Galatians 5:22) This begs the questions: Have you been “[rejoicing] always,” (Philippians 4:4) or have you been “lacking in zeal?”

1) Lukewarmness
As Jesus addressed the disgusting sin of lukewarmness in the Church at Laodicea, He issued a promise to them if they were to repent. He said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20) Because this scripture is the source of the most pervasive and destructive false doctrines of our time, the false teaching that one can simply “pray Jesus into their heart” for salvation, we can sometimes ignore or avoid this scripture, and forget to look at what it is actually saying. Because lukewarmness had permeated through the Church, Jesus’ Spirit was no longer there. He had literally left the building. Where there is no Spirit, there can be no fruit of the Spirit. Therefore, the joy and zeal, the enthusiasm that accompanies the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our life, would be absent. It is only through being wholehearted for God that we can experience the superlative happiness that characterizes the Christian life! (Psalm 119:1-2)

2) Insecurity/Shame
We have all experienced the feeling of working hard to invite our friends or family to a Church Service. Though initially we are excited that they said ‘yes’ to joining us, and are thrilled that they will get to experience an interaction with the very Kingdom of God, there can be a moment where it hits us – “What are they going to think?” Sometimes this concern so captivates us that we hold back in giving our heart fully in the service. We must remember the very words of Jesus, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when He comes in His glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26)

3) Unrepentant Sin
Have you ever gone to a Church Service while still being bitter at someone in the Church? Or how about when you have unconfessed and unresolved sin in your life? Just speaking from my own personal experience as a 21-year old (spiritually) Christian, we can feel like there is a dark cloud looming above us and following us wherever we go, like a grim-reaper waiting to slowly suck your soul from your body. It is quite impossible to be jubilant in this circumstance. We must first deal with our heart, and repent. The consequence of repentance is refreshment! (Acts 3:19) The happiest Christians are not perfect Christians. Perfection is impossible. The happiest Christians are repentant Christians! Where there is repentance, there is life! (Proverbs 12:28)

4) Fatigue

Yes, sometimes we can lack joy simply because we are tired. Let’s face it, being sold out is tiring. Even Jesus understood the taxing demands on His physical body as He healed the bleeding woman. He said, “Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me.” (Luke 8:46) That said, Jesus was never lacking in zeal. There was nobody happier than Him! Why? Because “the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”(II Timothy 1:7) Now before you blame the Spirit for your fatigue when you were up to the wee hours of the morning watching the latest Netflix series, you must also understand that the Spirit gives us “self-discipline.” If you are not being disciplined with your time, that’s not the Spirit’s fault; that’s your fault. But when we live by the Spirit, and are spiritual, we will have all the power that we need!

5) Grief

The last thing that can sometimes steal our Christian joy is grief. Sometimes we experience certain tragedies in our lives, and those tragedies cause us pain. It is hard to “rejoice always” amidst grief. Yet that is when it is most necessary to “[fix] our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus was able to look ahead to the ultimate result of His loss: our salvation. This alone gave Him genuine “joy” throughout the greatest trial of His life. If He could fix His eyes on us, we can fix our eyes on Him! That is, if God is truly in us! And to Him be all the glory!