Zeal for God is a keen interest in developing a relationship with God and living for Him.  It is an excitement born from truth.  But how do we know the truth?  It is a good thing to want to please God.  There is nothing wrong with it, but sometimes we misdirect our energies in ways that do little to honor Him.  Knowledge is an essential part of our zeal, and knowledge comes from a variety of spiritual disciplines.


 

Understanding Zeal
Often we think of zeal as just a random bit of excitement.  We see people in church jumping around during worship, speaking out in tongues, shouting in prayer.  We think that is showing a zeal for God, and in many ways it is.  Knowing God is an exciting thing, and outward expressions of our zeal are good.  But zeal can also be something quieter.

A zeal for God can be shown in a variety of ways, and some of them are even quite private. Praying every day, reading our Bibles regularly, going to church…all those things can demonstrate a zeal for God.  Just because we think the term zeal means something energetic and wild, it means something deeper when we talk about our relationship with God.

How to Develop a Zeal for God
We demonstrate our zeal for God in very specific ways, and with a bit of discipline, our zeal becomes very real.  We want to serve Him, and we desire His wisdom and guidance.  Here are some ways you develop a zeal for God:

• Make God the priority.  When we desire a closer relationship with God, and when we get excited about that relationship, we need to set aside time for it.  Relationships die without attention, and our relationship with God is no different.  So it is important that we find time in our lives to give to Him.  If you’re a morning person, maybe that’s the best time. Late at night, after homework?  Great.  Just carve out the time to develop your relationship with Him..

• Think before acting.  When we honor God, we act according to His will.  So, it’s important that we try to curb our impulses.  That’s not always easy, and it’s not always obvious when we’re not doing our due diligence and looking to God first.  It’s easy to rely on ourselves for the answers, but those who have a zeal for God rely on Him.
• Talk about God.  We’ve all seen those zealous Christians out there on street corners or in the park preaching from their soap boxes.  That may be what comes to mind when we’re talking about being zealous, but really, it is just as simple to have conversations with people about God. Natural conversations, and not forced conversations can show people a lot about how God works in your life.
• Talk to God.  Prayer is a pretty big deal when it comes to our relationship with God.  This is your time with him, and it’s personal and real.  God sees into our hearts, so need to hide anything from Him.  Spending time with God allows us to understand better how He wants us to live, the directions he wants us to take, and if the choices we’re making in our lives are the right ones.
• Study your Bible.  Zeal comes from wisdom, and wisdom comes from spending time in prayer and in God’s word.  The Bible is a powerful place full of God’s advice on everything going on in our lives.  It allows Him to speak to us both directly and indirectly about what we’re going through, and we see things through His eyes.  

How our Zeal for God Shows
As we grow stronger in our relationship with God, our zeal starts to show. It shows in our priorities, how we talk about our lives, and in our values.  We get excited to share our experiences with God, and we feel close to Him.  Not only that, but when our zeal comes from knowledge and wisdom, we also can rest assured God is pleased with us, too.