Five Steps For Igniting and Growing Your Zeal

“Zeal is essential to success,” advised the 19th century British preacher Charles Spurgeon. In a sermon he once offered this observation.

“Brethren, we would not condemn the use of zeal in the common affairs of life, for zeal is essential to success; we only wish that Christians would take copy from worldly men and be half as earnest and half as ambitions to maintain and increase the kingdom of their Lord and Master, as some men are after petty trifles or selfish aggrandizements.”

The Bible offers many examples of God’s men and women who possessed the kind of zeal championed by Spurgeon. Among them is a unique young man, Josiah, who became King of Judah. His life provides a 5 step process to ignite, develop and grow our zeal. His story is recorded in 2 Chronicles 34-35.

#1 Seek the Lord

Josiah came to the throne as a “boy King.” He was only 8 years old. But at age 16, “while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.”

When Josiah became King the nation of Judah was not serving God, but rather the idols of the land. Josiah knew something about David’s God, and began to seek Him. Youth is a good time to plant the seeds for growing spiritual zeal. The Preacher’s exhortation, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,” is still great advice.

#2 Start the Process

When he was 20 years old Josiah, “began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, the wooden images, the carved images, and the molded images.”

To grow our zeal we must begin. Begin the process. Begin to purify our environment. Begin to overcome the obstacles in serving God.

Josiah had a lot to overcome. He was very young. Both his father and his grandfather were wicked kings. The culture had forgotten God. And had become idolatrous. What can a young man do? He began. He started to move in the right direction.

Regardless of your circumstances, background, or environment, start the process. Begin to grow. Begin to change. Begin to do. Begin to overcome the obstacles.

#3 Smash the Idols

The text speaks in very graphic terms of Josiah personally overseeing the destruction of the wooden, craved, and molded images. He tore them down and broke them in pieces.

To create an environment where your spiritual zeal can grow and flourish you must smash every idol that compromises your purity and your total commitment to the Lord. What idols have you allowed to replace God?

• The idol of sinful pleasures?
• The idol of material possessions?
• The idol of people’s praise?
• The idol of worldly prestige?
• The idol of exploitive power?
• The idol of popular people?
• The idol of powerful politicians?
• The idol of secular passions?

These idols will deplete your energy, dilute your zeal, and destroy your relationship with the Lord. Smash the idols.

#4 Submit to God’s Book

In the midst of this revival the High Priest Hilkiah found the book of the law buried in the Temple. When they read it to Josiah, he reacted with deep emotion and commanded that it be read to all the people. As a result, a covenant was made that they would return to God’s Word and obey it.

True, lasting spiritual zeal apart from God’s Word is impossible. To develop and grow our zeal we must return to being a people of the “The Book.” It must be our standard of authority, our value system, and our guide for daily direction.

#5 Serve God Daily

Josiah walked with God. Not just on the Sabbath. But daily. His walk was real. Fervent. And continual.

A dose of inspiration on Sunday won’t be enough to keep you on fire for the Lord. It must be kindled and stoked on a daily basis.

Be zealous for the Lord every day (Prov. 23:17).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman