Week 51: Zealous & Zest

 

Fun Activity This Week: Show how zealous you are for the Lord by studying the Bible, spending time in prayer, and helping others in the name of Jesus.

Week 51: Zealous & Zest

Zealous:  Being zealous for the things of God will greatly enhance your marriage.  A genuine enthusiasm for a holy life will make your marriage joyful, peaceful, and successful!

Being zealous can include (but is not limited to) hosting and/or attending Bible studies, prayer time, witnessing to others, worshipping the Lord, writing Christian material, passing out tracts, donating time and/or money to charity, and serving others in your own town or another country.  Just simply letting your light shine bright for the Lord through your marriage can also be a huge way to show others you are zealous for the Lord.

     Anytime you include God in your marriage, it will greatly improve it.  Seeking God's will and having a desire to follow Biblical principles will make you want to not only be a better person to please God, but also a better spouse to please your mate.  It is a win-win situation all around!

...be zealous for the fear of the Lord all the day.  Proverbs 23:17

But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always.  Galatians 4:18

Zest:  And having a real zest for each other will make everything about married life that much more enjoyable!  Having a genuine want and need to be with your spouse will make him/her feel loved and desired.  Being excited to see one another and/or scarcely being able to leave the other for even an hour will make your bond unbreakable. 

When Mel and I first started dating, a friend warned me not to get my hopes up that he would be a passionate man. She said there is more to life than passion. True, but my dream man was always a man full of passion. We were both very respectful of each other and did not even have our first kiss until day ten of knowing each other. Keep in mind that we spent nine of those days together for at least eight hours at a time. Even then, it was not until day eleven that I saw that I did not have to have a single worry about Mel being an affectionate man. Mel and I have no problems being affectionate. We try to be respectful in public, but we are so overflowing with love that we cannot help but slip in a kiss here and there. We snuggle and hold hands all the time.

When you are so crazy in love with your spouse, I say, why hide it? There is no shame in holding hands all the time and snuggling together and being mushy. We are still respectful of others and are not lewd, such as sitting on each other's lap, kissing more than a peck, or inappropriately touching in front of other people. It is always good to know where to draw the line and keep private stuff private as God would expect you to behave. For the most part, people smile when they see how much in love we are. We have only gotten a protest or two from those feeling left out. However, we are not going to hide our love under a bushel just because someone else does not understand it or is jealous of us. I love that the majority of people are supportive of us. 

I also love how many people have told us they can see we are a perfect couple and that we are adorable together. One man at our former church even said he wanted to sit in the "romance corner" when he sat next to us at a Thanksgiving dinner held at the church. We are honored that so many people see our zest for each other and are blessed by it. We always want to be a true example of what a real, pure, honest, and respectful love looks like. 

I also love it when people I have known for many years (when I was still single) approach me and tell me they are glad to see me happy. I truly glow with the joy Mel has brought to me! I feel alive for the first time in my life, as if I did not fully live until I met and fell in love with my Mel. It blesses me to know that I shine with love for him. 

Do not be afraid or embarrassed to let your zest for one another be obvious to everyone else. (Again, in an appropriate way.) Don't you love your spouse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week? Then let it show all the time. Be a good example of what God has brought together. Do not nag or correct or argue in public as this shows a sign of division. The world is always watching, especially when you claim the title of Christian. With us, we are not phony and what you see is real. I guarantee it will also open up doors to witness to people about Christ. For it has been shown to us repeatedly that even strangers are drawn to us and want to talk to us. So go ahead, glow with love! 

Marriage-Enhancing Ideas for the Week:

Zealous: To show you are zealous love for the Lord, spend an extra few minutes each day in prayer, praise, and Bible study.  Even if you are already doing these things, add a few extra minutes this week.  As much as possible, do all these things together as a couple.

Zest:  When I think of the word zest, two things come to mind: soap and the zest of lemons or limes.  To show your zest for your mate, I have two different ideas; you can choose one or both.

Art Project Ideas:  This project costs money, but the cheapest will cost around $1.00.  Create a small bathtub out of cardboard or paper, or buy a doll-sized one.  Buy a bar of Zest soap (or body wash) and place it in the tub.  If you have room and if you would like to, you can make bubbles out of paper, plastic wrap, or anything else you can think of to fill your tub.  Next, create a sign out of cardboard covered with plain or scrap paper that says something like, “Let’s zestfully have a fun time in the bath (or shower) together.”  Glue the sign to a decorated Popsicle stick and place it in the bathtub.  If you would like, include a bath pouf and/or candles.  You could also make a mini shower with a shower curtain made of fabric or paper if you so choose.

This second idea also costs money, but less than a $1.00 for the cheapest option.  Decorate the outside of a small box (you could even use half or less of an egg carton) with scrapbook paper that has lemons and/or limes on it, draw your own on any kind of paper, or use anything else you can find with lemons and/or limes such as wrapping paper or even a dishtowel.  Place a few lemons and/or limes in the box with the same type of mini sign as described as above that says, “To show my zest for you, let me cook you a special dinner.”  You can include a few recipes for any type of dishes from which your mate can choose, including dessert, or choose for your spouse a specific meal that includes all lemon and/or lime dishes.  You can find many recipes on line if you do not have a cookbook with something that fits this description.