Thursday, May 28, 2009

My new favorite verse

All these years of reading the Bible and I've just now found this treasure! :)

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

Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master.....
Romans 12:11 Message

but serve the Lord with a zealous spirit; or but let the Spirit excite you as you serve the Lord.
Romans 12:11

It's not only OK to be zealous - God desires it of us! :) His Spirit excites us! *IF* we let Him! :) WOW that's cool!

It's so exciting to know I don't have to keep my flame in tact. YES I *do* need to have self control....yet I can be excited! We have freedom to be enthused, excited, passionate, on fire. God has blessed me with a personality that is full of these things and it is exciting to know that I can be free to be the full me He created me to be! I don't have to "grow up" the way the world desires me to!

So many times I used to get discouraged when others didn't express their excitement like I did --- but I have learned that:
a) many are just not excited because...
b) many haven't experienced what I have and...
c) many are going through different seasons than me... OR
d) nobody has the exact personality as I do and I have to be okay that they express their zeal differently!

SO it doesn't matter if others are excited just like me or not..... as my brother in Christ Mark shared with me last weekend from a book entitled _____ (?) (this is my paraphrase).... we are free to be consumed in the presence of our God and get so wrapped up in the music He spins into our lives that we ignore the other cadences the world tries to project into our days. We can get caught up in the music! We can be all who we are meant to be in His presence. He frees us!

Fervent in Spirit
Zealous
Enthusiastic
NOT indifferent!

I like those phrases!

Thanks for this part of my personality, God. The Randi Jo that you made me to be - the one that leaps into my Daddy's arms, that is excited about you and your love! The one that so badly wants to let loose and dance and let my hair down and squeal in excitement when you make yourself known to me. The one who can't stop smiling when I feel your love... the one who can't stop crying when I hear the Spirit! Thanks for helping me find these words today Daddy! I LOVE you! :)

5 comments:

Rose of Sharon said...

What a neat post! It is so important that we are zealous for Him!!!

Hugs, Sharon

Dr. Russell Norman Murray said...

Romans is a helpful theological and practical book.

It helps the Christian in life in many ways.

Cheers, Randi Jo.:)

Anonymous said...

I love that part of your personality, too! If only we all could be more carefree and unreserved with out devotion. There's such freedom in surrender.

Anonymous said...

with OUR devotion...opps

Randi Jo :) said...

thanks Noele :) I love *so* many parts of your personality too! :)