Welcome to Verse of the Day!

Today's Bible Verse:

Romans 12:11
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.(NIV)

Today's Inspiring Thought: Never Lacking in Zeal

I love starting new projects! Oh, the excitement and anticipation of what the finished project will look like! But often the excitement fades, especially if the project isn't turning out like I expected, or, if it's harder or takes longer to complete than anticipated.

Once the fun fades, it's easy to quit.

Surely I'm not alone in this. I know many people who have yards of yarn, tons of art supplies, and stashes of fabric sitting in cabinets, closets, and drawers. In spite of the initial excitement, project after project now gathers dust.

Although most Christians won't admit it, and perhaps are not even aware of it themselves, many treat their faith like a craft project. When they're in the mood, they get out their Christianity and play with it for awhile, but when the excitement dissipates, they stuff their faith away in a dark, forgotten closet. Sure, every now and then when they attend a retreat or hear an especially convicting sermon, they dust off their Bible, read it, and spend time in prayer.

I've often lulled myself into thinking that mediocrity in my walk with the Lord is okay ... at least some of the time. After all, I can't be expected to be excited about the Lord all the time, can I? Guess again. Paul's opinion on that matter is different than that of most people in the church today.

His exhortation to the church in Rome makes it obvious that he expected Christians to be fervent in their walk with the Lord, not just some of the time, but all the time.

Are you zealous in your walk with the Lord, or have you allowed yourself to slip into humdrum Christianity? If you're lacking in zeal, ask God to draw you closer to him. And while you're at it, dust off your Bible and consider what the Lord might have to say to you today!

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Rebecca Livermore is a freelance writer, speaker and contributor for About.com. Her passion is helping people grow in Christ. She is the author of the weekly devotional column Relevant Reflections on www.studylight.org and is a part-time staff writer for Memorize Truth (www.memorizetruth.com). For more information visit Rebecca's Bio Page.