BE PASSIONATE
Kimberly Lawrence
Today's Scripture: “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!” Revelation 3:15, NIV
Theme: Living comfortably lukewarm and apathetic is not acceptable to God.
FULL OF YOURSELF
When I think back to my own teenage years, I cringe. For me, that was a stage of life defined by self-importance, self-centeredness, and all I thought I knew. I spent more time patting myself on the back than I did allowing myself to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I fortunately had parents who kept me in check. I recall my mother saying, “Don’t be so full of yourself!” She saw--and corrected--my attitude of pride and arrogance.
In Revelation 3:15, Jesus similarly called out the church of Laodicea, a wealthy and self-sufficient community of believers who had grown complacent in their faith. The Lord’s words cut to the heart: “You are neither cold nor hot.” While they were basking in self-sufficiency and abundance, Jesus pointed out their failure to realize their actual condition: wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked. Lukewarm faith displeases God because it reflects hearts of indifference, not fully rejecting Him but not truly loving or serving Him, either.
THE INNER CONDITION
Much like today, this indifference wasn’t isolated to one region, group of people, or church. Jesus also addressed the church of Sardis saying, “You have the reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up!” (Revelation 3:1-2, NIV. Outward appearances are meaningless. They can hide inner decay: a mask of activity hiding the lack of meaningful spiritual vitality and connection with God.
Lukewarm living is spiritual arrogance...somewhat of a “with or without you, God” attitude. It assumes that we can coast through life without full dependance on God, enjoying His blessings while ignoring His call to holiness. In truth, this is just blindness to our own spiritual poverty. Apathy creeps in when comfort replaces conviction, and self-reliance replaces surrender.
Make It Personal: God desires passionate devotion, not half-hearted religion. He calls us to burn brightly with zeal, to love Him wholeheartedly, and to live in daily dependance on His grace. To remain lukewarm is to insult the Cross, acting as though Christ’s sacrifice deserves a merely casual response. Let us evaluate the areas we’ve become lukewarm in our spiritual life – praying, reading our bible, serving, giving, attending Sunday worship, and witnessing. Then, let’s light a fire!
Pray: Lord, forgive me for drifting and becoming lukewarm. Stir my heart and passion for You. Help me to depend fully on Your grace, live boldly for Your glory, and never settle for apathy in my relationship with You. Amen.
Read: Romans 12:11; Hebrews 6:11-12; Matthew 24:12-14
Weekly Memory Verse: “For you say, ‘I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing,’ not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17, ESV