MISPLACED ZEAL

In John 2:17 John tells us, "Zeal for your house consumes me." He speaks about Jesus' house, the Temple in Jerusalem.  Jesus cleared the Temple of thieves in one mighty act.  Angry at the money changers with their devious ways, He cleared them out, showing righteous anger.


"What Jesus did was right and good. But the zeal Jesus had was born of love of God who appointed the Temple to be His dwelling place.  Jesus was honoring God.  His zeal was for God, spilling over into love for God's house.


"Many of us can relate to Jesus' act of anger in the temple, for the temple was being misused by the money-changers.  But sometimes we humans take our zeal for God and end up with an obsession for "doing."  First and foremost, God wants us to "be."  Be a child of God, be teachable, be loving, be willing to learn, be willing to obey, and be trusting of God, always turning toward God, not zealous for proving oneself to be right and righteous.  God will show us what he wants us to "do" after we learn to "be" His.


"God, dear God, I'm still just  beginning to see how I shifted into works that I hoped would prove I have some goodness.  Forgive me.  May my zeal be for You.  May my insecurities about myself be let go and may my love for you be in your safe-keeping.  AMEN"


Push on, my friends, push on!


Jo INMN