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Romans 12:11 - BE ON FIRE FOR THE LORD!

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

Romans 12:11 (AMP) Never lag in zeal and in 
earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the 
Spirit, serving the Lord.  

Romans 12:11 (CWR) Don't be lazy; do your 
work enthusiastically, just as if you were 
working for the Lord Himself.  

INTRODUCTION

An alternative translation is be set on 
fire by the Spirit. [NIV SB 2015] 

Work hard and serve the Lord 
enthusiastically or serve the Lord with a zealous spirit; or 
let the Spirit excite you as you serve the Lord 
[NLT SB 2008]  

WORD STUDY

   Fervent. Literally, to boil. The 
zealous Christian will always keep his interest in 
the cause of God at the boiling point, as it 
were. His fervor will give him power with men 
(Acts 18:25, 28) and bring him power from God.  
   In spirit. This may be understood as 
either the human spirit or the divine Spirit. 
Perhaps Paul is speaking of the human spirit 
inspired and energized by the Spirit of God.  
   Serving the Lord. Zeal and fervor arise 
naturally in the heart of the believer who recognizes 
that, in whatever sphere of labor he may be 
serving, he is working as to the Lord, and not 
unto men. [SDA Bible Commentary] 

   Whatever is worth doing in the Christian 
life is valuable enough to be done with 
enthusiasm and care. Sloth and indifference not only 
prevent good, but allow evil to prosper. 
   Fervent in spirit. Lit. "to boil in 
spirit." This phrase suggests having plenty of heat 
to produce adequate, productive energy, but not 
so much heat that one goes out of control. 
[MacArthur SB] 

As believers are serving the Lord, they 
should never become lazy or lose their diligence. 
Instead, their service should be enthusiastic. Paul 
is not advocating activity for activity's sake. 
Rather, we should consistently use our spiritual 
gifts to serve the body. We have been called 
(1:6-7), challenged (12:1-2), and equipped (12:4-6) 
for serving the Lord. Fatigue may be part of the 
cycle of service, but apathy (lack of zeal) should 
not be part of a believer's life. Christians 
must fight against discouragement, depression, 
and negativeness; they must do their utmost to 
keep their spiritual temperature high. [Life 
Application Commentary] 

COMMENTARY PEARL

How to Stay Enthusiastic for a Lifetime
   In order to reach your goals, you have to 
figure out how to maintain your enthusiasm over the 
long haul. 
   Ralph Waldo Emerson said, Nothing 
great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. I 
believe that with all of my heart and have found it 
to be true in my life. Youve got to have 
passion and enthusiasm, or youre never going to 
make it to the finish line.  
   Most people would consider me an 
enthusiastic person - and I am. I havent been an 
enthusiastic person for just a week or a month. My 
enthusiasm has not waned after a year or five years or 
10 years. I have been consistently enthusiastic 
about the goals that Ive set for more than 30 
years. 
   How do you do that? How do you stay 
enthusiastic day after day in spite of delays, 
difficulties, dead ends, problems, pressures, and 
criticisms? How do you stay enthusiastic for more than 
30 years? 
   Positive thinking is not enough. Pulling 
yourself up by your psychological bootstraps is not 
enough. Talking yourself into optimism is not 
enough. 
   The way you stay enthusiastic for a 
lifetime is found in the word enthusiasm, which 
comes from the Greek word en theos. En is the 
Greek word for in. Theos is the Greek word 
for God. So en theos means to be in 
God. 
   WHEN YOU GET IN GOD, YOU WILL BE 
ENTHUSIASTIC. Its the kind of enthusiasm that isnt 
affected by the economy or the weather or your 
circumstances. Its eternal, because you are tied to the 
eternal God. You are in Christ. 
   Paul tells you how to be in God - 
enthusiastic - in Romans 12:11-12: Never be lacking in 
zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the 
Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, 
faithful in prayer (NIV). 
   If you want to reach your goals, you need 
to get God-given enthusiasm by being joyful in 
hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in 
prayer. 
   Start by praying this prayer today: 
Dear God, I dont want to go another day 
without you in my life, controlling every part of my 
heart. I dedicate myself to you. I offer myself as 
a living sacrifice to you as a spiritual act 
of worship.  
   I humbly admit that I need help. I 
want you to renew my mind, so I can think the way 
you want me to think - with the mind of Christ. 
Please forgive me for my pride. I dont want to 
think more highly of myself than I should. My 
faith needs to grow, and I need your help to set 
goals that can be measured so I can manage them. 
Forgive me for trying to change on my own. 
   I want to fill my life with love. I 
want to fill my life with you. Help me to take 
delight in honoring other people and to focus on 
giving my life away so that you can take care of my 
needs. I want to nurture my enthusiasm by being in 
you. Help me to be joyful in hope, patient in 
affliction, and faithful in prayer. In Jesus name. 
Amen. [Daily Devotional by Rick Warren: 
https://pastorrick.com/devotional/] 

COMMENTARY

When God opens the way for the 
accomplishment of a certain work and gives assurance of 
success, the chosen instrumentality must do all in 
his power to bring about the promised result. In 
proportion to the enthusiasm and perseverance with 
which the work is carried forward will be the 
success given.  PK263 

Should we give our lives up to prayerful 
meditation, our lights would grow dim, for light is 
given to us that we may impart it to others, and 
the more we impart light, the brighter our own 
light will become. If there is any one thing in 
the world in which we may manifest enthusiasm, 
it may be manifested in seeking the salvation 
of the souls for whom Christ died. Work of this 
kind will not cause us to neglect personal piety. 
1SM139 

Vigilance and Diligence to Be Blended - We 
are to be vigilant, watching for the coming of 
the Son of man; and we must also be diligent; 
working as well as waiting is required; there must 
be a union of the two. This will balance the 
Christian character, making it well developed, 
symmetrical. We should not feel that we are to neglect 
everything else, and give ourselves up to meditation, 
study, or prayer; neither are we to be full of 
bustle and hurry and work, to the neglect of 
personal piety. Waiting and watching and working are 
to be blended. AH23 

When we realize that we are working for God, 
we shall have a higher sense than we have ever 
had before of the sacredness of spiritual 
service. This realization will put life and vigilance 
and persevering energy into the discharge of 
every duty. CM77 

If a man has tact, industry, and enthusiasm, 
he will make a success in temporal business, 
and the same qualities, consecrated to the work 
of God, will prove even doubly efficient; for 
divine power will be combined with human effort. 
5T275-6 

In many hearts there seems to be scarcely a 
breath of spiritual life. This makes me very sad. I 
fear that aggressive warfare against the world, 
the flesh, and the devil has not been 
maintained. Shall we cheer on, by a half-dead 
Christianity, the selfish, covetous spirit of the world, 
sharing its ungodliness and smiling on its 
falsehood? - Nay! By the grace of God let us be 
steadfast to the principles of truth, holding firm to 
the end the beginning of our confidence. 1SM127 

There is but one remedy for indolence, and 
that is to throw off sluggishness as a sin that 
leads to perdition, and go to work using the 
physical ability that God has given you for this 
purpose. The only cure for a useless, inefficient 
life is effort, determined, persevering effort. 
The only cure for selfishness is to deny self, 
and work earnestly to be the blessing that you 
can be to your fellowmen. He that observeth 
the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth 
the clouds shall not reap. TM183-4 

Let those who are naturally slow of 
movement, seek to become active, quick, energetic, 
remembering the words of the apostle, Not slothful in 
business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.  
If you are under the control of slow, dilatory 
movements, if your habits are of a lazy order, you will 
make a long job out of a short one; and it is the 
duty of those who are slow, to reform, and to 
become more expeditious. If they will, they can 
overcome their fussy, lingering habits. SD114 

It is not a virtue for men or women to 
excuse slow bungling at work of any character. The 
slow habits must be overcome. The man who is 
slow, and does his work at a disadvantage, is an 
unprofitable workman. His slowness is a defect that needs 
to be seen and corrected. He needs to exercise 
his intellect in planning how to use his time so 
as to secure the best results. When one is 
forever at work, and the work is never done, it is 
because mind and heart are not put into the work. It 
takes some persons ten hours to do that which 
another accomplishes readily in five. Such workmen 
do not bring tact and method into their labor. 
There is something to be learned every day as to 
how to improve in the manner of labor so as to 
get through the work, and have time for 
something else. It is the duty of every worker not 
merely to give his strength but his mind and 
intellect to that which he undertakes to do. Some who 
are engaged in domestic labor are always at 
work; it is not because they have so much to do, 
but they do not plan in such a way as to have 
time. They should give themselves a certain time 
to accomplish their task, and make every move 
tell. Dullness and ignorance are no virtue. You 
can choose to become stereotyped in a wrong 
course of action because you have not the 
determination to take yourselves in hand and to reform, or 
you may cultivate your powers to do the very 
best kind of service, and then you will find 
yourselves in demand anywhere and everywhere. You will 
be appreciated for all that you are worth. 
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy 
might. Not slothful in business; fervent in 
spirit; serving the Lord. FE316 [What if the 
slowness is due to hypothyroidism, depression, 
retardation, dementia, etc. one obviously needs to get 
treatment to resolve the problem.] 

ILLUSTRATION

Nutcracker Ballet
   In recovery, we talk a lot about 
relationships and the importance of rebuilding and 
repairing the damage that we've done to ourselves and 
those we love. In order to be devoted to one 
another and honor one another above ourselves as the 
Bible instructs, we must change the way we think 
and operate. Often that means doing things that 
aren't in our comfort zone. This can be tough, but 
there is a bonus. Sometimes we find something 
enjoyable that we never thought we would.  
   During the holidays, my wife and I 
attended a production of The Nutcracker ballet. A 
ballet? This is something I never thought I would 
do. But my granddaughter was a cast member, and 
that made all the difference. Instead of an event 
that I would do just about anything to get out 
of, it was transformed into an event that I 
wouldn't miss for the world. In fact, it is one of my 
most enjoyable family memories. And for our 
granddaughter, our presence made her night complete.  
   These kinds of events are essential for 
building meaningful relationships with those we love. 
They show our devotion and that we are honoring 
others above ourselves. Sure, it takes some effort 
to get out of our comfort zone, but the rewards 
are worth it.  
   Father, thank you for the uncomfortable 
choices we make for others that become uncommon 
blessings for our lives and theirs. In Jesus' name, 
Amen. [Celebrate Recovery Daily Devotional by John 
& Johnny Baker] 

CLOSING THOUGHT

Has Your Get-Up-and-Go Got Up and Gone?
   I have times when I get tired of doing 
what I am doing. We all do. No matter what your 
position is in life, there will be days when you will 
not feel like doing it. You might even go 
through a longer season in which you feel listless 
and uninterested in almost everything. There may 
be underlying reasons that you will need to 
prayerfully search out, but often we just need to stir 
ourselves up and get going again. We need to do it 
purposely instead of waiting for a feeling to show up 
and motivate us to action again. 
   Gratitude helps me do that. When I 
recount all of my blessings, I am amazed at the 
goodness of God in my life. It makes me thankful, and 
that always stirs me up and makes life look 
brighter. Having great expectations also energizes and 
motivates me. We don't have to wait and see if 
something good happens in our lives; we can 
aggressively expect something good to happen. David 
indicated that if he failed to believe he would see 
the Lord's goodness, it would affect him in a 
detrimental way. He said, "[What, what would have become 
of me] had I not believed that I would see the 
Lord's goodness..." (Psalm 27:13). 
   The third thing that energizes me is 
getting my mind off how I feel and on something I 
can do to be a blessing to someone else. When I 
do, it works every time. Before long, I find 
myself enthusiastic about life and excited to 
resume my service to the Lord. 
   Father, I want to live life to the 
fullest. I want to live with passion, zeal, and 
appreciation for every opportunity that YOU give me. Help 
me approach this day with enthusiasm and do 
everything as unto You. [My Time with God by Joyce 
Meyer] 

LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY 

Colossians 3:23 - ALIVE in CHRIST!!!

http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220130-0934.html 

YOUR COMMENTS

If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or 
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either 
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in 
hearing from you.  Thanks in advance and let's keep 
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred 
Gibbs