Zeal, as a passionate enthusiasm, is a virtue we must embody in our pursuit of God and His way. Are we giving our all for Christ and the life God has revealed to us? Are we truly zealous for the Kingdom of God? As Paul writes in Galatians 4:18, it is good to be zealous always in a good thing, expressing enthusiasm and fervor toward godly purposes and what God wants us to do. Yet, our culture often dismisses zeal, viewing it with cynicism or suspicion, labeling the zealous as fanatics or idealists who are out of touch with reality. Despite this, as followers of Christ, we must have fervor and wholehearted enthusiasm for Him, for God's righteous way of life, and for the Kingdom of God. Does thinking about living God's way fill us with ardor? Does the prospect of the Kingdom motivate us to act as God desires? Jesus Christ Himself warns against a lack of zeal in Revelation 3:14-19, rebuking the Laodicean church for being lukewarm, neither cold nor hot, and urging them to be zealous and repent. This lukewarm, complacent attitude—indifferent and unexcited—is opposed to everything zeal represents. The Head of the church is not satisfied with such a lack of commitment and desires fervor for the Kingdom of God. A lack of zeal is a sign of underlying sin, making it not just a matter of emotion or personality, but of righteousness, and thus especially important.

In Jesus Christ's letter to the congregation at Laodicea, He expresses deep displeasure with their lukewarm attitude, noting that they cannot be described as zealous for Him or His way of life. Instead, Laodiceans are enthusiastic about being rich, becoming wealthy, and needing nothing, directing their focus and drive toward material gain with ambition and aggression. However, Christ considers their zeal to be misdirected at ill-considered goals, as they labor for perishable things rather than enduring spiritual values. Toward God, they are essentially apathetic, showing no feeling, which Christ cannot stand, hating the indifferent middle ground they occupy between Him and the world. He would rather they be ice-cold than tepid and lifeless, and He is ready to reject them because their lack of love for Him is evident in their absence of zeal for His way. Yet, He urges them with love to be zealous and repent. Zeal, derived from the Greek word zēlos, signifies intense heat or passion, akin to boiling or glowing with fervor. It embodies ardor and intensity, contrasting with indifference, and can manifest as holy fervor for righteousness or good deeds, hostility and ill will, human jealousy, or devotion and enthusiasm to attain goals. Overall, zeal represents intense effort and emotional energy focused single-mindedly on a goal, an emotional drive present in everyone, directed toward various passions or pursuits. As such, all are zealous in some form, but the challenge lies in ensuring that zeal is properly motivated and directed toward God, His way of life, and His Kingdom as the paramount focus.

The apostle Paul, driven by gratitude for God's calling, devoted his life to zealously serving God by preaching the gospel to the Gentiles. His zeal embodied holy fervor, coupled with an enthusiastic pursuit of the Kingdom of God and a deep devotion to Christ, motivating all his works. Similarly, the zeal of biblical figures like Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Phinehas, David, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel reflects their complete commitment in service to God, often enduring martyrdom with remarkable faith and self-sacrifice. Zeal, as described in Scripture, is not inherently a virtue but rather the energy, motivation, desire, conviction, and confidence behind virtuous acts. It represents the attitude and feeling that propel us to perform righteous deeds to please God. Within the practical teachings of Romans 12, zeal is essential in fulfilling godly behaviors, urging us to engage in every act wholeheartedly with singleness of focus and perseverance. Whether continuing steadfastly in prayer, showing love without hypocrisy, or restraining pride in personal opinions, each action should be performed with fervent zeal as a response to God's grace. The essence of zeal is captured in Romans 12:11 as not lagging in diligence, being fervent in spirit, and serving the Lord. Negatively, zeal avoids laziness and sluggishness, instead being active, intense, and tireless in accomplishing tasks. Positively, it is a passionate, ardent, and enthusiastic drive to achieve godly goals. Ultimately, the purpose of zeal is to serve the Lord, fulfilling His desires for us, His church, and His Kingdom, as Christ redeemed us to be a special people zealous for good works, as stated in Titus 2:14.