Purpose Fuels Zeal- Day 4 June R&R

Several years ago I chose the word “Zeal” as a personal theme for the year. Looking back, I think I chose it because I realized I had grown a little flat spiritually and emotionally. I was still working hard and staying busy, but there is a difference between activity and passion. I was functioning fine, but I did not feel particularly energized or inspired.

Around that same time I was reading Os Guinness’ The Call, and one of the things I kept noticing in both the book and in Scripture was how often zeal seems connected to purpose and calling. People tend to develop energy around things they genuinely believe matter. And passion is also very contagious!

That may sound obvious, but I do not think it really is.

As I read through the Bible that year, verses about zeal kept jumping out at me. Romans 12 says, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” When Jesus cleansed the temple, the disciples remembered the phrase, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

I started realizing that biblical faith is not meant to be lifeless or detached. That does not mean every Christian becomes an intense personality or emotional extrovert, but there does seem to be a kind of energy that accompanies conviction and calling.

I can be so 'mental' only- clinical- I am in love with the 'idea' but not the person.....

I have seen this over and over in coaching, education, leadership, and probably just life in general.

Parents sometimes come talk with me about a teenage son who seems aimless, unmotivated, distracted, or disengaged. Usually they are worried because the young man has no clear direction and no real energy toward school, work, or responsibility. Honestly, I remember going through seasons like that myself.

I usually tell them "keep praying and waiting- and when the rocket lights, you will see it"- (you just hope it is a worthwhile endeavor LOL)

But I also remember when things started to change. Once I had a clearer sense of direction and purpose, my energy level changed too. I have seen the same thing happen in athletes, students, teachers, coaches, and leaders. Aimlessness tends to drain people. Purpose creates movement.

That does not mean calling removes exhaustion. Some of the things we are most called to do can also be the most tiring. Education certainly fits that category. Leadership does too. But meaningful work usually creates a different kind of endurance than meaningless work.

I think that is one reason burnout becomes so dangerous when people lose connection to purpose. Once work becomes only maintenance, pressure, deadlines, or survival, it is difficult to sustain energy for very long.

At the same time, I think there is an important warning here too.

Modern culture constantly encourages us to “find our passion” or “follow our dreams,” but those ideas can become very self-centered very quickly. The focus turns inward and life becomes centered on personal fulfillment or self-expression.

Guinness pushes against that throughout The Call. Biblical calling does not begin with self-discovery. It begins with God. The central question is not simply, “What would make me happy?” but “What is God asking me to do with my life?”

That is an important distinction because “my calling” can become narcissistic if it is disconnected from humility, service, community, and obedience.

Real calling usually pulls us outward toward responsibility and service rather than inward toward obsession with ourselves.

And interestingly enough, that is often where zeal grows too.

People who believe deeply in the value and meaning of their work usually find reserves of energy and perseverance they did not know they had.

I want to stop here and reflect on this amazing definition Guinness is using about our calling:

Calling is the truth that God calls us to Himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to His summons and service.

slow down- go back up- and read that again- bit by bit....

So maybe part of reflection during June is asking a few honest questions:

Do my kids, grandkids, students see me passionate for the Lord- am I showing a faith I would even be willing to die for?

Have I drifted into survival mode?

What work consistently gives me life and meaning?

And am I still listening carefully for what God may be calling me toward now?

If you are reading along with me- drop me a note, I would LOVE to know: jayopsis@gmail.com