Have you ever gotten into the shower right after a workout? It feels so hot it’s almost unbearable and you turn down the temperature as fast as you can. Or when it’s 20 degrees in January, who wants to get into a cold shower? I can confidently say very few people don’t crank up the heat when it gets to be chilly. The extreme heat or cold seems to be too much for us to handle, leading us to a single response: getting lukewarm.
Of course, that is not what we would call it. We would be “warming up” or “cooling down.” While living this way is logical and I do not intend to start taking freezing cold showers throughout the winter, I fear that this attitude has spilled over into our spiritual lives. Let me explain.
“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”
Revelation 3:15-16
Too often in today’s society and in my own life, I find myself getting comfortable and complacent. I spend my time justifying my measly efforts to fit God into my daily life instead of seeking Him wholeheartedly. Throughout the Bible it is made clear that true believers cannot serve two masters. It is hypocritical to do one thing and say another, yet it is something that we have almost come to expect. What happened to living a life so changed by the love and grace of our mighty Savior that we could not help but be on fire for Him?
When we live a lukewarm life, we fail to truly understand the weight of our sin and the price of our salvation. We satisfy ourselves with living a moral and upright life, when we have been called to so much more than that. We go through our days knowing that we make mistakes and fall into sin, and then cash in forgiveness and grace like we use our credit cards-quickly and without much thought.
I believe that if I were to die today, many people would say that I was a Christian and that I lived a life that honored God. But I know, and He knows, every time that I thought or said or did that wasn’t in line with His will. I may have lived a godly life, gone on a few mission trips, and served my community, but what did I do to further the gospel and advance the kingdom? How was my life changed because of His death?
We all need a little wake-up call from these lukewarm lives we’ve created. Non-believers are never going to be convinced about the power of God’s love and grace if our complacent lives do not reflect this power that we claim. Today, I will live out my call to be on fire for the Lord through my words and deeds, giving Him glory and seeking His will. I will realize the weight of my sin and the cost of grace and live in FREEDOM because He has set me free. A wildfire begins with a single spark and I want to be the spark that lights the world on fire for Christ.
Do you?
“Lukewarm people don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin.” —Francis Chan
Writer Bio
Shelby is a college student with one year before she becomes an Elementary school teacher. She loves Jesus, her family, sports and coffee! Although she would rather have control over everything in her life, she is learning that God may just be more capable. When she isn’t working or studying, you can find her spending time with her family and friends.
