“It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always, not just when I am with you.” Galatians 4:18
To have zeal is to have dedication, passion, and love for something.
When it comes to basketball, it would be hard to find two people who love it more than me and Blake. We both played basketball in school. We met because of basketball. We both coached basketball. We have a daughter who loves basketball, and who we love to watch play.
We sacrifice our time during the week for practices and especially on the weekend for tournaments. We sacrifice money spent on entry fees and hotel stays. We sometimes miss church due to playing out of town, and game times.
Blake is committed to coaching, and Kinley is committed to practice. They work hard. I think it’s important to work hard. I think God gives each of us things we enjoy doing. He gives us different gifts and talents. While He gives us these gifts, He still wants us to do them to the best of our ability.
“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” Proverbs 16:3
But this post is less about basketball and more about what our true passion should be…bringing glory to God, who gives us every good and perfect gift that we have. James 1:17
Galatians 4:18 tells us it is good to be zealous if the purpose is good. We can be passionate about basketball, and honor God while we are doing it. We can encourage our kids, we can hold our tongues (o.k. this one is really, REALLY hard!), we can be good role models for the kids we coach, we can pray in team huddles. All these things are good.
But how much more should our zeal and passion be for God? For the one who gave us our spouse, our kids, our family, our health, and the very life we are living today? If we are going to be dedicated to God, we need a personal relationship with Him. We need to pray, and be dedicated to prayer. We must read the Bible for power, guidance, nourishment, and direction for our lives. We must love others. When we have a passion for God and seek Him, He will guide us on the path that will bring Him glory.
“But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.” James 1:25
