Boiling hot love

Rom. 12:11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord In today’s live to love encouragement from Rom. 12:11, I want to turn the spotlight on the phrase “fervent in spirit.” As Paul thought about the Roman’s service to the Lord, he was moved by the Holy Spirit to encourage them that their service of worship to God should be fervent in spirit. The idea conveyed in the word fervent is that of a pot of boiling hot water. You’ve seen this, haven’t you? The water starts boiling and the surface is moving as the bubbles rise to the surface and steam bursts up. It’s the exact opposite image of the idea conveyed in “lagging behind” or lacking spirit. Our love for God and for others is to be burning hot because it is from our spirits which are joined to Christ. I am calling you to live to love with Jesus. Apart from Him, certainly we will lag behind in diligence. We get tired of loving. We lose our motivation and fall short of the glory of God. Jesus told us this would happen when He told His disciples they could not bear fruit for God’s glory apart from Him. Dear brothers and sisters, Jesus lives in us. His love for God and for His body is boiling hot. That fervency drove Him to heal, comfort, teach, give, serve, and finally to the cross so our flesh and lack of spiritual stamina would be put to death. When He was raised, He rose like the the bubbles rise in boiling water. It was the boiling hot love of God that raised Jesus so that His fervency would be expressed in our lives as from our spirits, united with Christ, we receive a love for God and others that explodes with the fire of the Holy Spirit. How would your love for God and others be described? Is it cold? Is it luke warm? Would you like for it to boil for the glory of God? If so, then look to Jesus in you and consider His love that lives in you. When you meditate on His word, like this verse in Rom. 12:11 and offer yourself as a living, holy sacrifice to God for His glory, the Holy Spirit will turn up the heat in your spirit, and you’ll experience His boiling love for others. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com