Energized Living
May 31, 2018
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. – Romans 12:11
Half-heartedness is the curse of mediocrity. It is the spirit of lukewarm faith that so offended Jesus about the church of Laodicea in the book of Revelation. It is the polar opposite of the wholehearted worship, devotion, and service that is called for among people who know and love God.
In a recent sermon, I used a word that may or may not exist: "pyrocardia," a heart on fire. That is what Paul is talking about as he describes the red-hot spirit of the believer serving the Lord. It is energized, vitalized, and emblazoned with passion. That passion ignites every dimension of the Christian’s life so that he or she is doing everything as service to the Lord.
Romans 12:11 lays it out and can be translated, “never short on zeal, always abounding in spiritual fervor, serving the Lord."
Lacking in zeal is literally getting a case of the "slows." Spiritual fervor is "heat." Some have pointed out textual variations for “serving the Lord” so that some translations render it, “serving the time.” Most scholars agree that the best texts render it “serving the Lord,” it is not difficult to see how a few scribes might have gotten confused. All of our service to God is in time and space and requires seizing opportunities. To understand that time is fleeting is to light a fire beneath our feet. To serve God is to serve time as well.
Energized Christian service with an eye on the clock is contagious and significant. The passionate devotion of one man or woman can light a fire that cannot be extinguished by discouragement or hardship. One person set afire by the Holy Spirit can inflame an entire community for Christ.
Half-hearted service will simply maintain. Whole-hearted service will affect transformation.
As we come to common table of the Christian experience in the church, may we catch and pass on a good case of “pyrocardia.”