“Ok, that’s it…I’ve had it with you, John! You are LUKEWARM about everything!”
That’s a real exchange I witnessed a few years back between a couple of guys on staff together at a faith-based organization. It was much louder and angrier than those words could ever convey.
When they locked their horns and started to spit words all over each other, I was expecting a nasty exchange and mass casualties across both sides of the relationship. But that did not happen. Actually, it sort of fizzled out and left no discernible trace of animus or hard feelings.
Why?
The word LUKEWARM is anything but a power word. In fact, for me it conjures images of apathy and low-energy. It does not feel like a damning statement that could ever send shudders through someone or spill negative emotion on their mood.
Let’s face it, LUKEWARM is a soft term.
Until, that is, it is applied to a Christian’s faith walk. No believer wants their faith to be considered lukewarm because it means we are not fully surrendered to Christ.
luke·warm: showing little enthusiasm; indifferent; neither hold nor cold.
And if we’re lukewarm toward God and not spending time in SOLITUDE with him, we have to consider that path’s destination:
He will not know us:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23
For believers, being tagged with the lukewarm label does not mean we have denied knowing Jesus, but it does speak to our faith being inactive and not affecting the way we live.
Our faith becomes lukewarm when our heart for God is allowed to cool. We will know this condition has arrived in our walk when we are believing we are sufficient for “most of life.” That is the day God has been forced out of the hub position in our faith wheel and become a spoke.
Father God: I do not want to be tried and convicted for “lukewarm faith.” Keep me focused on staying intimately connected to you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Are there any signs of being lukewarm in your faith walk?