Now that I have lived through a full summer in Bakersfield, I noticed something: the heat saps my strength. I know you’re all reading this thinking, “duh!! It’s taken you a whole year?!?” Being from the Midwest I’m used to heat and humidity, and that has its own set of trouble, but it’s not quite as draining as stepping out into triple digits. As you can imagine, I’ve been glad for air conditioning and ice water! And at the end of many recent days, I have enjoyed cooling off while watching highlights from the summer Olympics.
It has been fun, as I’ve watched the Olympics, to hear some chants of “USA” and hear people like Lebron James say, “We’re wearing red, white, and blue for a reason.” There’s nothing like good old-fashioned athletic contest to bring back enthusiasm and fresh feelings of national honor.
As I’ve heard sports reporters interview the athletes, though, I have noticed that they are not supremely motivated by going up against opponents from other nations. Over and over again, I hear athletes say things like, “I am just focusing on getting better and better. I am so honored to be here, representing my country, and I just want to do the best I can do.” This focus keeps them energized.
“Never be lacking in zeal,” Paul writes in Romans 12:11, “But keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”
For those of us who feel a little wilted by the summer’s heat, Paul gives an energizing focus: keeping spiritual fervor. When I spend time in the Word, I give my spirit the nutrients it needs to grow. When I pray, I allow my soul to breathe, and when I listen to music written for worship, and even sing along, I find myself triply blessed. This of course requires time and discipline (if you’re like me, both seem to be in short supply!), but the returns are life-giving.
Linked to spiritual fervor is the phrase, “serving the Lord.” Some of the most inspiring people I have met were well up in years – 80 and beyond – but they chose to focus on serving God, spreading the Gospel, and investing in the next generation. Their faces shone with the joy of the Lord, and they were energized by being the best that they could be so that others would know the Lord through their testimony and teaching. Serving is energizing, and so is keeping keen focus on Who we are serving… not me, not traditions, and not trends. May God help us to have plenty of zeal, keep our spiritual fervor, and serve the Lord.
