“It is not good to have zeal without knowledge, nor to be hasty and miss the way” (19:2). Zeal is like a large sail that we raise up to catch the wind of God’s Spirit. It is vital that we maintain our zeal. We should be hungry for God and eager to receive from him and be moved along by his Spirit. But zeal without knowledge is like a sailing boat without a rudder. It is good to have zeal, but zeal alone will take us off course. Just because a person is genuinely zealous in their faith does not insure them against error. I have seen many Christians hurtle into disaster because they would not be steered by the wisdom and experience of others. A rudder often feels like drag. It slows down the vessel. But a rudder enables the boat to tack with the wind and avoid obstacles. This, again, will feel like unnecessary caution to a person who has zeal without knowledge. They may even feel that all attempts to steer them amount to ‘quenching the Spirit’. Spiritual zeal is important. But zeal needs direction. If you rush forwards recklessly you will hurt others and yourself. Many people have been injured by the impulsiveness and insensitivity of rudderless Christians. Many people have been harmed by people who tried to love them in ways that were presumptive and ignorant. Be zealous, but ensure your zeal is guided by wisdom. And don’t assume that you have this wisdom in yourself. Seek counsel from others. Let yourself be steered by the wisdom of others.
Ask God to grow you in wisdom and zeal together.
Read Proverbs 19:1-10
