While reading Knowing God by J. I. Packer I came across an inspiring quote having to do with zeal for God. It is by Bishop J. C. Ryle and has to be shared:
"Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do
His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a
desire which no man feels by nature – which the Spirit puts in the heart of
every believer when he is converted – but which some believers feel so much
more strongly than others that they alone deserve to be called ‘zealous’ men .
. .
A zealous
man in religion is pre-eminently a man of
one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty,
uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He only sees
one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed up
in one thing; and that one thing is to please God. Whether he lives, or whether
he does – whether he has health, or whether he has sickness – whether he is
rich, or whether he is poor – whether he pleases man, or whether he gives
offence – whether he is thought wise, or whether he is thought foolish –
whether he gets blame, or whether he gets praise – whether he gets honour, or
whether he gets shame – for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He
burns for one thing; and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God’s
glory. If he is consumed in the very burning, he cares not for it – he is
content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn; and if consumed in
burning, he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will
always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, work, and give money,
he will cry, and sigh, and pray. . . If he cannot fight in the valley with
Joshua, he will do the world of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill (Exod.
17:9-13). If he is cut off from working himself, he will give the Lord no rest
till help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what
I mean when I speak of ‘zeal’ in religion (Practical
Religion, 1959 ed., p. 130)."
J. I. Packer, Knowing God (London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1973), p. 196.
