Romans 12:11

“Never be lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.” (NKJV)

STRONGS HEBREW/GREEK ORIGINS

“Never be lagging (okneros: slothful, grievous, sluggish) in diligence (spoude: care, striving after, earnestness), fervent (zeo: to boil with heat, be hot, metaphorical for boiling anger, love, zealous) in spirit, serving (douleuo: in bondage, do service, obeying, submitting, yielding to) the Lord.”

SUMMARY

Never be slothful and sluggish in striving after the LORD, but have boiling love, zealous in spirit, obeying, submitting, yielding to the LORD.

MEDITATION

Now here are some challenges for us. Never be lacking zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor. Serve, obey, submit and yield to the LORD. I don’t know about you but I often find myself coming up short on the diligence and zeal end of things. True Christianity, however, doesn’t take time off. Instance by instance submission leads to this boiling love that Paul speaks of here in Romans. It is here that we find the greater depths of intimacy with our Father. Today, remove all obstacles. Remove all distractions. Diligently pursue and serve your LORD.