During a discussion at a Bible Institute in Richmond, Virginia the teacher and students discussed how some people have a lot of zeal when they first get saved, and then they lose their fervor. They wind down like used batteries.
Why do people lose their zeal? And how can they get it back?
In the list of seven churches of Asia Minor, Ephesus was by far the greatest city in the province and is listed first because of its size, economics, culture, and Greek temples. Ephesus was the gateway of Asia. During Paul’s travels, he stayed three years in Ephesus, longer than in any other city. (Acts 20:31) Paul had earlier commended this church for its love for God and others. (Ephesians 1:15)
Many of the older people died in Ephesus, and the next generation lost its zeal for God. God had one ought against the church at Ephesus according to Revelation 2:4. Ephesus had lost its first love.
Today there is little left in Ephesus but ruins. Once the greatest city in Asia is now nothing more than a waste and desolate land. Is this because Ephesus became the loveless church? Is this what happens to churches and Christians when they lose their first love?
Zeal is defined as “eagerness and ardent interest in the pursuit of something; fervor for something.”
Reasons you might have lost your zeal
- Prayerlessness
- Unforgiven sin
- Failure to read your Bible daily
- Surrounding yourself with ungodly people
- Gotten too busy with things of life.
Ways to get your zeal back
- Pray without ceasing.
- Repent of all sin in your life.
- Read, study, meditate on and obey your Bible.
- Surround yourself with Godly people.
Think back to when you lost your zeal and pinpoint what caused it. Determine what was going on in your life at the time when you felt your zeal decreasing. Pray and ask God to help you get the fervor back that you once experienced.
If you do not have the zeal you once had for God, rekindle your love affair with God now, and let the fire burn brightly.