Love will cause you to do things that you would never do. Love will cause you to work harder, run faster or even drop everything to go and be and do and with and for love.
Romans 12:11 “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.”
Never and always… for Him.
Paul doesn’t say what we should have zeal for. But it is in the context of our relationship with others. It is part of the list flowing from the title, ‘Love must be sincere.’
Work at it, with people, with your love, don’t be half-hearted, don’t be lazy in your approach. Even when your emotions say otherwise and even when you don’t feel like it. Never put up the drawbridge, never back off, never say “I’m not going to bother with that person anymore,’
But hold on. That just sounds like a lot of legalistic hard work!
But we have a positive alongside the negative. We have the always pairing with the never.
Always be boiling over in your spirit towards never backing away from people. It’s not just hard work that we are called to bring but our very heart, our feelings, fervency, passion for people. Don’t be disengaged from the inner enthusiastic desire to honour others above yourself. Do it with all your might, heart, strength, mind, put all of you into this life of loving with sincerity. Isn’t that something of the great commandment?
It matters whether you smile. Joy is crucially important. If you don’t have it pray for it.
Never and always, why? for Him
Your commitment to work at this with a passionate heart is done for no other reason but that of serving the Lord. Working hard has no value in itself; fervency has no value in itself; but both together done for that of serving Jesus, then that is the value. These 2 things hang on the greatest opportunity in the world, to do it all for Him.
Missions Paul 