“‘I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth,’” (Revelation 3:15-16, New Living Translation).
Sometimes people think that this passage means that God would rather have us hot, on fire for Him or cold and against Him. I know that for a very long time I thought that “cold” referred to someone who was either angry with God or rejected Him, as in giving God the cold-shoulder.
My pastor explained that at that time there were two types of springs in the area of this particular church. One spring was a hot spring. The warmth was comforting and people drank from it like we drink hot tea or coffee. The other spring was cold. It provided people with a refreshing drink. Lukewarm water just doesn’t taste as good as the others!
Understanding that, makes God’s meaning in these verses much clearer.
If you listened to my audio “Day of Miracles” (grab your copy by signing up for The Heart Connection Ezine), you heard me tell of Seth’s big moment of choice. As he walked to the operating room he had to decide if he was going to trust God or not. He chose to trust. (I didn’t know about this decision until days later.)
Moments like Seth’s are the kind of moments that can leave us passionate about God. When we face something that terrifies us or we hit rock bottom, we are also coming to the point where our only choice is to either grab onto God’s hand and trust Him or stay stuck in our pit. When we choose Him and we experience His powerful love protecting, helping and saving us or faith grows. We’re excited about what He’s done and it renews our spirits. We fall deeply in love with God.
That passion, though, often fades. Our faith neither refreshes our spirit or leaves us comforted, trusting in Him. Our faith becomes something we simply believe – we become lukewarm.
This passage from Revelation tells us what kind of faith God wants for us. He wants our faith in Him to renew us when things get tough – like a cold glass of water after mowing in the hot sun. He wants it to give us peace in the middle of a storm – like hot chocolate during a blizzard. It’s an active faith that dictates our lives.
Are you there, my friend, living the faith God wants for you or have you fallen into a pitfall of doubt? Does your faith really matter to you? Not sure? Pick up your copy of my free report “Does Faith Matter?” Find out what the pitfalls are that we so easily fall in to (yes, there’s more than one), how to avoid or get out of them, and the incredible blessings God has for you when you are “hot or cold”, walking in true, life-changing faith. Don’t go another day without it!
In His Love,
Kimberly
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