Hi friends!
Do you know what today is? That’s right- the Fourth of July! Independence Day! There will be barbeques and family reunions and fireworks! Yeah- this is the one day a year when we go all out with the red, white, and blue. Flags will be flying everywhere, the radio stations will be playing the national anthem… Today, it’s pretty clear that all Americans are PROUD to be Americans!
But if you visited America, say, in a couple of weeks, it wouldn’t nearly be the same. Sure, there are some flags around, and we don’t exactly shun wearing the colors red, white, and blue. But that spirit… the patriotic “Go America!” spirit just isn’t really there. Or at least, it’s definitely not as prominent as it is on the Fourth.
Sisters, I’m sure you already know that patriotism is kind of my soapbox… So I’m going to try not to talk (and/or rant) about that today. Instead, I found a different lesson to be learned from the U.S.A.’s birthday. Today, I want to talk about that loss of spirit.
I don’t know what it is about these holidays that get everyone so fired up- Fourth of July, Halloween, Christmas… When these dates roll around every year, people get so excited. They get in the mood! They want to celebrate, and some go all out! The days building up to the holiday are filled with preparation and excitement, all leading up to that day… And then, after the festivities are over and the holiday is past, the excitement is completely gone- almost as if it were never there in the first place. The memories are in place, but life gets back to normal, and that excitement is forgotten, until the next holiday comes along.
And you know what, sisters? I think we can be the same way about events at church. When a youth rally or a ladies day or church camp is coming, we get so excited! We go to that event and hear talented speakers and experience amazing fellowship with our fellow Christians, and we’re on fire for God! If you’re anything like me, after one of those events, I want to go shout Scripture from the rooftops or something like that. I feel like there’s absolutely no limit on what I can do in service to God, and I want to do it all, and-
And then regular life catches up. And that fire? It dies down. It might even go out completely. We slowly slip back into our normal routines, and we forget about that zeal we had to spread God’s word and do those good works. Until the next event comes around- and then we’re back on fire for God for another few days. And then… it dies down once again. I’m sure you’ve experienced the cycle at some point in your life- I know I have.
And it’s not right, sisters. Titus 2:14 tells us that God wants his people to be “zealous for good works (ESV),” and since our goal in life is to please God, we should all strive to be zealous and not lose that willingness and eagerness to do God’s work. But now that we’ve established that, we’re stuck with the problem of what to do about it. How do we stay zealous?
Sisters, I struggle with this a lot on a daily basis. I know from personal experience whatever “answers” one gives to this question are very hard answers to apply to life and to live by. But I believe if we ask ourselves two questions, we can identify the problem. And then the solution should be a lot easier to handle.
Here’s the first question: Why don’t we stay zealous? For me, the answer is simple- normal life gets to us all after a while. The world can bog us down; we see the evil out there daily, and it can get discouraging sometimes. Life can easily zap us of the energy needed to maintain that zeal, and once that energy is fading, it’s hard to muster up enough to keep going full-force for the Lord.
I know I’ve said it about a thousand times, but that’s what your Christian sisters- and brothers- are here for, ladies! Galatians 6:2- “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (ESV).” We lean on each other for support, and together, we’re strong enough to keep the world from dragging us down! Like the verse says- this is the best way to keep up that zeal; we can fulfill the law of Christ by helping each other stay focused and eager.
And this is the second question: What makes us zealous? What is it at all of those youth rallies and ladies days and church camps that get us so fired up in the first place? Again, I believe Christian fellowship plays a big role. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a whole crowd of Christians all in one place at one time. But there are other factors too- hearing God’s Word is a big one. Speakers can inspire us like nothing else. Also, after a church event, I often hear many people commenting on the singing- on how beautiful and uplifting it was. Once, I heard a woman comment that she expected Heaven to sound somewhat like how the singing had that evening. Praising God is a powerful thing, sisters.
All of these things play a part in filling us with zeal. We can’t do these things twenty-four seven, but logically, the more we surround ourselves with them, the easier it will be to maintain zeal.
But it’s not just that- I’ve found that to keep that fire burning for the Lord for a long time, it takes a little bit of personal effort too. Whenever I’m feeling like that fire is dying, I like to take a few moments and sort through my priorities. Once I re-examine my life and ponder all of that philosophical stuff for a while, I find it’s a little easier to see the big picture a bit more clearly.
Of course, there is no easy answer or fast solution. I can only offer suggestions. But I’m willing to bet that if we (myself included) turned to the Bible a little more often, it would make everything just a little easier.
Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the Fourth of July, sisters! Have fun and see lots of fireworks!
Let’s try to keep the fire burning for the Lord!
Mia
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