Hot or Cold?

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)

I've been thinking about this Bible verse all morning. Most of us have probably been there, or are still there. Lukewarm for God. You go to church, read your Bible and pray, but do not find real joy in it. Hearing the name of Jesus doesn't make you feel hot or cold. Being a Christian has become a routine instead of a relationship.

Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do you find the following things a JOY or an INCONVENIENCE? Do you enjoy doing it because you're doing it for God? Or would you rather do something else with your time or money or feelings? Write down the numbers 1 - 10 and behind that write a J for Joy or an I for Inconvenience.

1. Going to church.
2. Sitting down to study your Bible.
3. Praying to God - and I don't mean a 30-second prayer before your meal.
4. Helping someone out.
5. Tithing, whether you give to the church, a Christian charity or people in need.
6. Forgiving someone who has hurt you.
7. Telling someone who is not a Christian about Jesus.
8. Changing the channel because the TV-show you're watching is going against what God wants.
9. Trusting that God will take care of you instead of worrying about the future.
10. Serving God by doing something out of your comfort zone, knowing He will give you strength and courage.

Now add up all your J-s and I-s. Did you answer the majority with a J - for Jesus? Then you must be on the right track! Isn't is such a joy to serve the Lord wherever you can?
Did you answer the majority with an I - for yourself? Then maybe you should look for ways to light up that fire in your heart for the Lord. The best way to start is to spend more time with Him. Try to set a few minutes aside in the morning and evening so you can start and end your day by praying to Him. Ask God to ignite that fire in your heart. Start a daily Bible study that will teach you more about Who He is. Sing a few worship songs every day. I promise you, the more time you spend with God, the bigger that fire in your heart will become. And after a while, these things will not be inconveniences anymore, and won't require so much effort. They will become the highlight of your day.

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)

Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Psalm 86:4)

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)

My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed. (Psalm 71:23)

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:11-12)

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)

Here's a Casting Crowns song that I thought was very fitting.

Until Jesus returns, we will never be perfect Christians. We'll never be as hot as we need to be. We'll always be somewhere in the middle. But we need to try our very best for Him!

I also like this article by Edwin Crozier who has an interesting way of looking at this Bible verse. A quote: "Do you see now what Jesus was telling Laodicea. His point was not that He would rather they be His clear enemies than just so-so. He was saying He wanted them to stand out and be different from their environment. He wanted them to impact those that surrounded them. Sadly, the reverse had been true and so they were to Jesus like the tepid cup of coffee–disgusting and useless."
Jesus wants us to be different from the rest of the world. We often try to blend in and are just as up-to-date on the latest fashion, technology and tv-shows as everyone else. So how do they know we're different? We have to show them by our actions! Let them see the fire of God in you!