What I have shared so far about what I have seen and experience God do is just a small sample. You would think that I would have be on a unstoppable fire for the Lord just through the few things I have shared so far. Reality, no, I had flare ups in the faith when I thought I could have put Hell out with a water pistol, but they were short lived. The things I had been doing had become routine.
Yes, there were times when I was burning hot spiritually. Those times were associated with the emotionally exciting events centered around MFUGE and Church camp experiences. My life as a whole had really become best defined as a luke warm complacency. I had become comfortable in what I was doing. In my mind, I was doing more than most. So with that said, I was better off. I was paying my dues by volunteering in Sunday school, vacation bible school, church camp, and MFUGE. I went to church most Sunday mornings. I even graced the church with my presence on Wednesday and Sunday nights, when it was convenient for me.
So how did I become so complacent? I think it was because I had become comfortable. For the most part, everything was going well. We had no real significant needs and we were managing things comfortably on our own. My wife was happy, I was happy, the kids were healthy, work was good, Carri had a job, we were able to keep our home, and everyone was getting along. We had no real sense of urgency or great need. I was viewing life through rose colored glasses.
As far as my faith I was neither hot or cold, I was just simply luke warm and complacent. I was not doing anything to grow spiritually or mature in the faith. Neither was I really doing anything to reach others for Christ, including my own children. Honestly, what better place can satan get you than the place of complacency? When we are complacent we are quiet, unnoticed, and idle. Luke warm complacency will achieve nothing for the cause of Christ.
looking back, I am certain Jesus just wanted to spit me out. He had to have been frustrated and disappointed at my current state of spiritual being. He had taken me to amazing places, showed me incredible things, and used me to achieve His glory. How did I show my appreciation? By becoming luke warm and complacent. I was partially committed to church attendance and service, mostly private in my faith, and justified in my own eyes by simply just going through the motions. I had no real dependence on Him. My faith had become not much more than partially committed ritualistic religious practices, sprinkled with occasional acts of service.
What I needed was for God to put me in a place where I had no choice, but to depend on Him. Why does it take hitting rock bottom where neither you or anyone else can help before you totally trust in Christ? It is when you are at rock bottom that you either turn to or turn away from the one who can rescue you. It becomes a choice of life and death. For the christian, being spiritualy dead is that luke warm place we find ourselves in. To be spirtually alive, we must have the same mind, heart and soulset as paul in Phillipians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
God was about to get my attention. I am so glad He did not spit me out. Never do I want to be useless to my Lord. Tomorrow, I will share how God brought our family to rock bottom in order to get our attention. We were taken to a place where there was NO HOPE, except through HIm.
Revelations 3:16 So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
May my life be the proof and evidence of His love!
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