Lead with Zeal: recovering an undervalued leadership virtue

 Many years ago I decided I wanted to be more of a thermostat than a thermometer leader. I wanted to set the tone and temperature of the room I was in rather than test it. I haven't done that perfectly, but if I've  done it all well, it's been because this often under-valued virtue we find in the Bible called zeal.   

If I ask you to think of a zealot, who comes to mind?  Perhaps you think of someone with misguided or unbridled passion for a cause. Maybe a placard waving protester or a hell, fire and brimstone preacher shouting at passers' by from a sidewalk?  Perhaps even a worship leader who gets carried away, losing all track of the time and the congregation?  

If we know the Scriptures, we probably think of the warning against zeal from the book of Proverbs. 

         "Zeal is not good without wisdom, and the one who acts hastily sins." (19:2)

The Bible provides living examples of this in Simon Peter, whose misguided zeal led him to cut off Malchus's ear at Jesus' arrest. Another example would be  Saul who described himself as zealously obeying the law and persecuting Christians. Not to mention Simon the Zealot, who was trying to overthrow the Roman government before he began to follow Christ. I think it is because we have read about and experienced unwise zeal that we tend to view zeal as a whole with suspicion. And so we choose wisdom over zeal and knowledge over passion. But what if wisdom without zeal was also not good? What if zeal was, in fact, a Biblical imperative for Christian leaders? 

Many years ago, a leader called Ray Johnston gave me some unforgettable insight on leadership. "There are two kinds of leaders that help God's people move upwards. I understand them in terms of rocket launching. There are those with a guidance system  - that's wisdom -  and those with rocket fuel - that's zeal. The best leader's have both guidance system and rocket fuel. They are rare."  

Is it possible that your guidance system needs some rocket fuel? 

 It's fascinating to me that the once zealous Saul doesn't reject zeal after his conversion. Instead, as an  apostle, he commends it, even more, insists on it for leaders of Jesus' Church.  

"Let the one who contributes, contribute generously; the one who leads, lead with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness." (Romans 12:8)

In other words, of all the virtues Paul could have chosen to describe how Christian leaders should lead, he  chose zeal. That is notable. You and I need zeal to lead! And then, in case we were not yet persuaded, he writes a few verses later, now speaking to all who serve in the church, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor as you serve the Lord." (Romans 12:11) So then, zeal is an imperative for all servants of Christ, but particularly for leaders. We also note that zeal is something we can lose as we serve the Lord, but are able to keep. "Keep your spiritual fervor as you serve the Lord."

So, if leading with zeal is an imperative for all leaders, what is it and how do we keep it? 

First, zeal is not merely passion for a cause. I would describe Biblical zeal as spiritual fervor for God, his people and his priorities. God is a zealous God and he wants his people to be zealous for Him and his purposes. Isaiah's prophecy about the Messiah, so often read at Christmas time, gives us a glimpse of God's zeal in sending His Son to save and rule the world. 

"For unto us a child is born, and he shall be called the Prince of Peace, the Mighty God, the wonderful counsellor and the everlasting Father. He shall reign on David's throne, and of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. The zeal of the Lord will accomplish this." (Isaiah 9:11-13)

God was enthusiastic about sending His Son. Fervent about saving us. Earnest about bringing about his eternal rule through Jesus. There is absolutely nothing half-hearted about God. He accomplishes his purposes with zeal. Too often, especially in the educated West, because we equate zeal with a lack of education or wisdom, we cultivate a kind of curated disinterest, as if being too passionate isa sign of  immaturity.  But this is far from God's character. Think of Zephaniah the prophet's description of God's zeal for his people. 

"The Lord your God is with you, he will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his live and rejoice over you with shouts of joy!" (Zephaniah 3:16)

So, how do we ensure that we never lack zeal but keep our spiritual fervor as we serve the Lord? 

First, let's beware of zeal comparison. That is a sure way either to depress us or make us proud. Elijah the prophet, after defeating the prophets of Baal, complained, "I have been very zealous for the Lord. I am the only one faithful in all of Israel." (1 Kings 19) God graciously corrected him. You are not the only zealous one, Elijah. There are 7000 who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Elijah was likely looking for certain signs of zeal, but zeal looks different in different people. It's not always calling down fire and slaying false prophets. So let's beware of zeal comparison, especially those of us who are more intense or extroverted. 

Second, let's imitate the zeal of Jesus as our model. In the account of the Jesus cleansing of the temple in John 2, his actions reminded his disciples of  this verse in the Psalms, "Zeal for your house consumes me." (Psalm 69:9) Jesus' zeal was certainly radical. He turned the tables of the money changers. But before turning the tables, he spent the night at Mary and Martha's house, making a whip. His zeal was not an uncontrolled temper tantrum, but rather a deliberate plan for purity.  Jesus' zeal was about God's priority for purity in his house.

Jesus was also zealous for hospitality. His insistence that his father's house would be called a house of prayer for all nations, meant that any mechanism which kept the Gentiles from worshipingYahweh had to be radically death with. We should also be zealous for this kind of hospitality too. Then we see Jesus zealous for healing. He didn't only turn tables. He healed the lame and the sick in the temple.  We should also be zealous for healing. Finally, we see Jesus being zealous for freedom. He would not let people stop the children running through the temple to worship him, shouting 'Hosanna. Blessed is the King!" 

Following in the footsteps in Jesus, leaders are also called to be zealous for purity, hospitality, healing and freedom. Our zeal tends to flow easily towards some of these pursuits, but few off us are fervent about them all. Let's ask for Jesus' zeal for His father's house. Let's not play wisdom off against zeal. Refuse to be too cool to be zealous.Too studious to be zealous. Too mature to be zealous. If you want to lead in God's house, you're going to need  zeal. Let's ask Jesus for God's zeal to consume us again, just as it consumed Him.