Zeal for His House

"Zeal for your house consumes me,

and the insults of those who insult you fall on me."

Psalm 69:9

The tiny band of men had never seen their usual calm and gentle leader so angry.  Cattle and sheep scattered as He brandished His whip.  "How dare you treat my Father's house in such a degrading way.  This is no mere market, but the hallowed place of God! Get out and take your money with you!"  he shouted as he flung the coins after their retreating feet.  "Remove your wares from this holy ground!  Have you no respect for God?"  Frightened merchants and entrepreneurs escaped the wrath of the Man who had never before shown such fervor.

As a follower of Jesus, I am called to develop the same kind of passion toward the interests of God.  How am I zealous for the things that are important to God?  In what ways do I uphold the holiness of God and differentiate between the common and the sacred?  When am I willing to take a bashing in order to protect the name of God?

Living my life for God does not only concern learning about Him and how I fit into His kingdom, but its also about what sets off my passions.  As I grow closer to Him and am more closely aligned to His point of view, my passions will change from selfish pursuits to a more godly drive.

Temple

They had grown lax in their duties.  What once was taken seriously, now became almost a joke.  The place that used to be considered special and where temple workers had restricted access out of respect for God was now open to anyone.  The Levites and priests had fallen into negligence of their duties. (Ezekiel 44)

In the same way, I have grown lax in my duties.  My relationship with God that I once had taken seriously, could now be considered trivial.  The body which God had designated as His holy temple and of which I had restricted access from activities, entertainment or treatment that degraded His name, I now freely disgrace.  I have fallen into negligence of my duties.

The Apostle Paul taught that sex is not just a physical act but a union between two spirits.  (1 Corinthians 6:16)  He also reminds me that my body holds the very Spirit of God and thus in considered to be His temple under the new covenant.  (v 19) For this reason, sexual sin is more serious because it is committed against God's holy temple. 

Maybe I think I'm off the hook since I am married and staying faithful to my husband.  I better be careful, however, because Jesus always goes deeper than the surface.  There are many ways in which I am in danger of defiling the temple of the Holy God.  

There are the times when I am watching a movie or television show that is filled with scenes involving passionate interplay between two characters and I do not bat an eye or turn away.  In a way, I am taking part in that sexual activity.

What about when I'm tempted to dress in such a way as to capture the flattery of someone other than my husband?  Maybe I'm not intentionally seeking this attention, but it could be that in the back of my mind I'm hoping someone will notice my figure.  In a way, I am making my body into a lure to gain some notice that will give my confidence a boost.

I must be careful in what books I read, music I listen to and television shows I watch.  All of these areas contain material that tempts me to defile the temple of God, even if it's just with my thoughts.

Paul drove home the lesson of purity by asking, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body." (v 19-20)  Everything I do, think and speak must be filtered through the lens of God's holiness.  Before I partake in any activity, form of entertainment or even way of dressing, I must consider whether or not it honors God.  If not, I have no business involving myself.

As I grow closer in my relationship with God, I will find that my passion becomes a desire to glorify God with my body.

Body of Christ

I have heard it said that church is the most uncomfortable, judgmental place to share one's hurts or struggles: most people would rather go to a bar where they'll be accepted and heard.

I would agree with this assessment.  It is hard to live authentically among other believers because we tend to take the grace extended to us and hoard it for ourselves.  To make matters worse, we then apply the Bible to others instead of turning the scrutiny on ourselves. After all, it's always easier to fix others' problems rather than to focus on where I need to change!

Where is my zeal for God' people?  As my connection to God builds, He begins to replace my selfish point of view with His.  Then I desire to build others up when they are hurting, or bear with those who are caught in a web of sin, or carry the burdens of my brothers and sisters who are hurting.  His Spirit dwelling within me propels me toward a concern for the family of God.

The problem is, there are so many hindrances to the free flow of His compassion.  I could be afraid of how I'll be perceived by others if I welcome an alcoholic into my home for regular Bible study.  There are other times when I forget the grace God freely gave to me and tend to pick and choose who I think deserves forgiveness.  I also could struggle with being able to see past the sin and recognize the hurt underneath.

If I want to develop a passion for the family of God, it will take some humbling in my own life.  Then the compassion that Christ showed through His life and ultimately as He died on the cross, selflessly taking on the sins of all mankind, will start to become my compassion.

As I grow closer in my relationship with God, I will discover a fervent passion for building up the body of Christ.

Persecutors

"What?  That is wrong!  He should never have treated you this way!  Are you going to sue?  You should.  Even if you don't win, it's the principle of the thing.  No one should get away with treating you so disrespectfully."

This could be a conversation about any number of things: workplace sexism, marital cruelty, bullying in school or at work, or even dating relationships.  Abuse and harassment seems commonplace in this day and age.

Jesus said I should expect mistreatment and even discrimination due to my belief in Him.  As His follower, I need to realize that I can't anticipate better treatment than Jesus Himself experienced. (John 15:20)

Its funny then how naturally I am ready to rise up to my own defense when maltreated.  I am quick to retaliate and lash out, making sure no one gets away with anything!  My natural tendency, however, shows a lack of faith in the One True Judge by whom nothing passes.  There is no sin which goes unpunished, either by Jesus for those who accept Him as their Savior, or by the person directly for those who reject the free gift of salvation offered by God through Christ.  Sin's price is death.

As one who is free from paying that price, I am also free to love those who hate me.  I lose nothing by letting a blow to the face go unanswered or a swipe at my ego fall to the wayside.  My reputation only matters as it pertains to God.  I need not fear what man thinks, but can truly live only for God and how He views my actions and thoughts.  

In this way, I am liberated to pray for those who persecute me and let God handle the judgement.  

As I grow closer in my relationship with God, I will discover a new-found passion for loving those who hate me.

As a human being my passions usually run along selfish lines.  But as I become more closely aligned with Christ, I will begin to see a change in what gets me fired up.  Instead of my ire being raised when I'm offended, disrespected or hurt, I'll find a more godly zeal.  I'll desire to treat my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; regard the family of God as those who need encouragement and grace; and think of my enemies as deserving of loving kindness.  It is then that the zeal of God will consume me. 

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will let go of the selfish point of view that drives me further from my Savior.

How does the way I think about or treat my enemies betray my heart?

When am I ready to jump to my defense instead of digging deep down to find the hurt that lies beneath?