Is Your Zeal Misdirected?

Romans 10:1-4 - Dear brothers, the longing of my heart and my prayer is that the Jewish people might be saved.  I know what enthusiasm they have for the honor of God, but it is misdirected zeal.  For they don’t understand that Christ has died to make them right with God. Instead they are trying to make themselves good enough to gain God’s favor by keeping the Jewish laws and customs, but that is not God’s way of salvation. They don’t understand that Christ gives to those who trust in him everything they are trying to get by keeping his laws. He ends all of that.

 

Paul‘s deep longing is to help the Jews understand that the Messiah came and they missed Him. They were so busy refining the 10 laws that Moses was given….so busy being religious…that they failed to see the fulfillment of many scriptures in Jesus Christ. They even twisted the law so much that they thought the only way to God was to earn His love through the obeying the law.  He called their love of the law “misdirected zeal.”

 

Paul sure makes me think about the difference in a relationship with God…and organized religion. I spent many a year of my life thinking that one faith worshiped God more correctly that another. Then God put situations in my life where I was exposed to the worship of other faiths. I don’t think that one ‘religion’ is more ‘Christian’ than another now….I see the many different ‘religions’ express they love for God in different ways.

 

I am learning that the most important thing is that we love God with all our heart and soul and mind….and that the second most important thing is to love others as myself. Jesus told us that in Mark 12 and Matthew 23. I am letting go of the notion that corporate worship has to be one specific way to please God. The more important thing is your relationship with him does not become misdirected zeal…thinking that one way is the only way to worship.  There is only one way to God…and that is through Jesus Christ.  But there are as many ways to worship Christ as there are people…for every relationship to God is as individual as a fingerprint.

 

I think it is time for me to let go of the notion that one needs to be a part of one certain religion….and think more about how my relationship with Christ draws others to His truth of salvation.  I hope I won’t ever lose the feeling that I need to be a part of an organized body of Christ….I thrive on the fellowship…the Bible study…the worship of God in music. I just don’t want my love of corporate worship to replace my need to spend time with God alone….for it is this time that He truly reveals His plan to me.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me that your love is as personal as there are people to love you. Forgive me for all my misdirected zeal….and letting it blur the reality of how your love can change my heart and soul and mind.  Help me to use the Bible to teach me how to love you the deepest that I can….to worry about my relationship with you more than I do how and where I worship. Amen.