It is right, at this time of year, for us to pause to reflect over the past year. It is good to see how the Lord has blessed and how His leading has brought us through both tragedy and triumph. But have you taken time to reflect on whether your life has made a difference in the past year…especially for the cause of God? Have you considered how your life will make a difference this next year?
Have you ever considered how even seemingly small things can make a huge difference in the outcome of things. Take temperature for an example. Consider how things change when the temperature changes.
What happens when things get cold? At 45 you grab your coat on the way out the door. At 32, water freezes. 28- Human skin in danger of frostbite. –27. Ammonia changes from liquid to gas.
Isn’t it interesting that in the physical environment, just a change of temperatures can cause so many reactions?
Just think about how a change in temperatures affects you. Have you ever stopped to realize that a change in temperatures causes you to change? If you are person that loves cold weather, then you may have gotten up in the past few weeks and found yourself invigorated by the cold, crisp mornings. On the other hand, if you don’t like the cold, or if you are like my wife and hate the cold, then you have suffered through the past few weeks, perhaps huddled around a wood stove or a gas heater or something else that radiates warmth.
If you are like me, let it hit 90, and my whole disposition changes. It’s too stinkin’ hot and I just want to stay in the A/C where I can live a normal life.
No, I don’t want to go on a picnic—or a bike ride—or anything that requires me to haul my body outside. Mowing the lawn happens as close to sunrise or sunset as possible in order to protect against meltdown. Sandy, on the other hand, always wants to open the windows and just enjoy the summer. I can tell you, that makes for an interesting marriage, but that’s a whole different blog post, so I’ll not get into it here.
I just find it interesting, that just a change in temperature can cause reactions in not only our physical world around us, but in us as well.
But did you notice what happened to things that stayed at room temperature? Nothing. In the physical world, no temperature related reactions take place at room temperature. Have you noticed the same is true for us? We are able to relax at room temperature. Not too hot…not too cold. Just right. Ahhhhhhh.
Thank you Pastor Don, for this incredible lesson in science and physiology, but that isn’t what I came to read. Come on Mabel, let’s go, we have other stuff to do.
Hold on, Mabel…not so fast. Here’s the point. In this season of evaluation, recognizing that just a change in temperature can cause a reaction in the physical world, have you stopped to reflect on your life? That’s the question that needs to be asked! Is your life, more specifically, your spiritual life, causing any reactions? Are you really who you say you are, or have you just settled for a room temperature faith existence? Do you see a reaction, any reaction, to the way you live out your faith?
When was the last time you heated someone up spiritually? Or when was the last time you found yourself chilling someone’s enthusiasm for the gospel?
Jesus isn’t saying that he wants you to be cold. But He is saying that He would rather you be cold towards your faith than just lukewarm. If you were cold, people would at least know where you stand. If they wanted to be cold in their faith walk, they could come join you. If they want to be on fire in their faith walk, they could avoid your chilling effects on their lives. But lukewarm? Nasty…God says.
You ever had a hot day where you got really thirsty while mowing the lawn or doing some yard work and you just couldn’t wait to rush inside and pop open a can of lukewarm Sprite? Nasty. It foams everywhere and leaves you feeling more unsatisfied, and just as thirsty.
Or what about that cold day where you are out raking leaves and getting chilled? You rush inside to grab that nice cup of lukewarm chocolate…not hot chocolate…lukewarm. It just doesn’t do it for you.
It doesn’t do it for God either. Notice in Revelation 3: 15,16
Rev. 3:15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Some versions translate that word: spew, implying not just a spitting out, or emptying the mouth, but a violent and rapid evacuation of the mouth. A spewing forth. So we see that with God, lukewarm does cause a reaction. And it isn’t positive.
God is saying that He wants His people to be hot, to be on fire for Christ. If not, then be cold. Lukewarm isn’t a state He wants His people in. What causes “lukewarm-ness”? Verse 17 gives us a hint.
17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
You’ve grown comfortable with where you are. You feel like you are doing ok. You feel like, in the spiritual realm, you are all right. You’ve accepted Christ. You’ve given up things that you needed to get rid of. You’ve walked, or at least lounged, on the path of righteousness for a long time…so you figure you’ve got it pretty well made in the shade with a glass of lemonade.
But God says that you’re real condition is less than ideal. He says you are wretched. He says you are pitiful. He says you are poor. He says you are blind and naked. In essence, God is saying that your self-sufficiency can cause, or has caused or is causing your spiritual walk to go bad. He’s saying that you’ve grown soft in the middle of the battle. He’s saying that you’ve grown so used to the comforts and accouterment of modern life in America, that you’ve forgotten this isn’t your real home.
And so He sends a new year—a giant conspiracy of grace—a colossal do-over, so that we can stop and re-assess where we are in life, and once again start with a clean slate.
I suppose one of the greatest things about a new year, is that, though many in our society say they don’t believe in God, they participate in one giant celebration of Grace. A colossal “do-over” as it were. The world, at this one time of year, gets a glimpse of grace. It’s as if they have read and understand God’s words in the book of Isaiah
Is. 43:18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.
Every one is ready to forget the past and start fresh. Everyone desires a clean slate. How will you write the next chapters of your life? Will your life make a difference for someone else this year?
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