CALLED TO BE EXTRAORDINARY
Kendra Intihar
Today's Scripture: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16, ESV
Theme: God isn’t satisfied with fake love.
“HOT ‘N’ COLD”
A 21st century philosopher once said,
“You’re hot then you're cold ; You're yes then you're no.
You're in then you're out; You're up then you're down .
You're wrong when it's right; It's black and it's white.
We fight, we break up; We kiss, we make up.”
If you can’t quite put your finger on how you know this familiar poetry, might I suggest re-watching the Chipettes’ cover of Katy Perry’s “Hot-n-Cold” in “Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: the Squeakquel.” In our language and culture, when we say that someone’s “hot and cold,” we mean it in the Katy Perry way. We mean that they are either extremely emotionally invested and present (hot) or that they are altogether disengaged (cold).
LUKEWARM
A couple of years ago, when I was studying the letter to the Church at Laodicea in Revelation 3, I learned something fascinating. In ancient times, when the text was written, Laodicea was situated between two other cities, each of which had its own remarkable natural water feature. Hierapolis, a couple of miles to the North, had natural, medicinal hot springs. And Colossae, a couple of miles to the East, had a refreshing cold spring that was used as drinking water. The hot springs and cold springs were very different, but they were both useful for the communities and individuals living in those cities. Their water was something special! These cities were only a few miles away from Laodicea, and since Laodicea didn’t have its own water source, they used an aqueduct system to bring in water from both Hierapolis and Colossae. As you can imagine, though, hot and cold water that travels through an aqueduct for a great distance will lose what makes it special: its temperature. In a span of a few miles, the water went from being extraordinary to being ordinary, or, “lukewarm.”
People who knew about Laodicea would’ve heard Jesus’ words with this context in mind when He said, “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 (NIV). Lukewarm water had nothing to offer. Neither does lukewarm Christianity.
AUTHENTIC LOVE
My entire adult life, I assumed that when Jesus said these words in Revelation, He was asking us to make a choice: follow Him wholeheartedly or don’t follow Him at all. Serve God zealously or abandon your faith, and just go on with your life as an unbeliever. Make a choice: hot or cold. Katy Perry theology. Turns out, the message we’re meant to receive from this text is that God desires that we truly love Him and that we wholeheartedly serve Him. He has given us something so special in choosing and loving us, and He wants our lives to reflect that.
The Church at Laodicea was a church of believers, but they had become apathetic toward God because their bellies and bank accounts were full. They didn’t recognize their need for Him. Like many of us, the Laodiceans appear to have used God as an amulet and an icon without being willing to devote their lives to loving Him and caring for the people He created. They were neither hot nor cold. Their faith was useless. And how did God feel about that? He wanted to spit them out! We can do no good in God’s Kingdom if we are only half-heartedly devoted to Him. God isn’t satisfied with inauthentic faith; that’s not the brand of Christianity He wants for us.
Being neither hot nor cold in our faith means believing in God, but not actually doing anything about it. It means living a life with a pretty vinyl Bible verse on the wall, but not rolling up our sleeves to participate in God’s Kingdom. It means saying we’re Christians because we know it’s the “right thing to do” culturally speaking, but not working to grow and mature in our faith. It means bearing the label of “Christian” without really following Christ. This is not God’s plan for His children! The Creator of the Universe calls us “Beloved” and He asks us to live like we know that’s true.
Make it Personal: Does your faith feel lukewarm sometimes? Mine, too. But we’re called to something so much more special than a lukewarm faith. We can be like Jesus. We can be a soothing hot spring to God’s weary children and a refreshing drink of cold water to those who are thirsty. Ask God to show you how you can better love and serve Him. Let’s not be Christians in name only; let’s be genuine followers of Christ, fully aware of our deep need for Him and fully committed to serving Him with our lives.
Pray: Father, I don’t want to be like the Church at Laodicea, lukewarm and apathetic. I want my heart to be so tender toward You and so pliable in Your hands that I cannot help but wholeheartedly devote my life to You. Help me to recognize my need for You and to live a life of worship and service that pleases You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Read: Romans 8:5-16; Micah 6:8; Colossians 3:17
Weekly Memory Verse: “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:16, ESV