Fanatics For Jesus

“Zeal for Your house consumes me.”-Psalm 69:9-

“Everything in moderation.” Sounds like a prudent way to live, doesn’t it? Seems like reasonable advice for a happy, balanced life.
But it just doesn’t fit when you’re talking about following Jesus. Jesus doesn’t say, “Everything in moderation.” He isn’t interested in enthusiastic admirers who don’t get too carried away. He wants completely committed followers.
I met a young man a few years ago whose life radically changed when he started following Christ. Instead of (in his words) “going out, drinking, smoking pot, and chasing girls,” he was constantly at church, serving however he could. He quit working during church hours, even though he needed the hours. He started giving generously even though finances were tight. He would not be quiet about what he was learning from the sermons and even started talking about mission trips and being in ministry. After just a few minutes with him, anyone could easily see the joy that he had found in Christ.
Some time after his radical change, his mom wanted to meet with me. I though for sure I knew what she wanted to talk about. I knew that she went to a different church, and I assumed she wanted to express her appreciation to our church for the positive changes in her son’s life. But that wasn’t the case. She was actually upset with him and she blamed me and our church, saying, “My son has taken all of this too far.”
But you see, when it comes to following Jesus, there is no middle ground. Moderation isn’t an option. You can’t walk a fine line or sit on the fence. Jesus says if you don’t sell out completely, you can’t be His follower. His invitation is an all-or-nothing one. How will you answer His invitation today?

Following Today
Take time to do some honest self-assessment. Consider what those closest to you would observe in your life when it comes to the following areas:

Serving – Am I joyfully contributing to the work of the ministry, or do I sit back and let others serve?

Giving – Am I bringing my whole heart — talents, time, and resources — to the church, or do I give only when I have some extra?

Meeting With Believers – Do I make it a priority to be in God’s house each week, or do I attend every now and then?

Bible Study and Prayer – Do I meet regularly with the Lord, or is my time with Him only haphazard and occasional?

Think about this question: Would anyone accuse me of following Jesus zealously?