The apostle Paul tells us, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Romans 12.11 NIV). That’s the kind of attitude that pastors and church leaders would want to see in church members—zeal, passion, eagerness, enthusiasm. The church thrives with people like that!
Then, John Wesley comes along and warns us about the danger of enthusiasm (which he calls “the daughter of pride”)! What he means, of course, is not the same thing as what Paul has in mind. Wesley provides some examples of what such dangerous zeal looks like.
There is “the tendency to hastily ascribe everything to God.” The danger here is the failure to “test all things by the written word of God” and to submit to its authority for faith and practice. Sometimes we can come up with what seem to be great ideas, creative methods, or the latest approaches, for ministry. We get so excited about them, and we push hard to put them into effect. We are caught up in the “assured results” of our idea that we do not pay attention whether or not “how” we get there is in keeping with biblical truth. And sometimes when others do not readily join us or agree with us, we become touchy and testy, which could raise up another danger—divisiveness and disunity.
Dangerous enthusiasm is present when “expecting the end without the means.” We expect spiritual knowledge, but we are not willing to study the scriptures or consult mature disciples. We expect spiritual strength, but we are not willing to engage in “constant prayer and steady watchfulness.” We expect God to bless us, but we are not willing to listen to the Lord’s guidance at every opportunity.
Paul himself knew what it was like to have tremendous zeal for God and yet miss God’s will completely. In his satirical boasting, he talks about his own zeal for God that was expressed in his being a “persecutor of the church” (Philippians 3.6). Of the Israelites who rejected the gospel, he asserts: “For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge” (Romans 10.2 NIV). Another version translates it in this way: “I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal” (Romans 10.2 NLT).
So, how do we avoid dangerous zeal? We go back to scripture: “Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to determine if they are from God” (1 John 4.1 NET). I also would add: “Examine all things; hold fast to what is good. Stay away from every form of evil” (1 Thessalonians 5.21–22 NET). Be all out for Christ. Just be sure you are firmly grounded in him.
—Keith Y. Jainga