The sign read: House for Rent.
Hot and Cold Running Water.
Though laughable now, there was a
time when having indoor plumbing was a luxury only the wealthy knew anything
about. Water was drawn from a well or creek and carried indoors. Getting hot
water meant cutting wood and placing cold water in pots in the fireplace or on
a wood-burning stove.
On one mid-August trip through
the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, my wife and I noticed the leaves on
the highest-elevation trees turning. Odd, I thought, this early, but then
again, that’s what tree leaves do. As the summer season ended and the daylight
hours got shorter, the leaves lost their luminescence and revealed their
natural color. The yellows shone through beautifully.
Christians shouldn’t run hot and
cold or change like the leaves on a tree. Nor should we have lukewarm faith in
a hot-and-cold world. Paul encouraged the early believers to be steadfast in
their love for the Lord and in their work for him. Only by steadfastness would
they be able to fulfill Jesus’ Great Commission to take the gospel to the ends
of the earth and teach people how to be his disciples.
But we also don’t
want to burn out doing God’s work—nor does God expect us to. Unfortunately, I’ve
known quite a few believers who did. Burnout can come from trying too hard to
alleviate feelings of guilt over past sins, from serving with the wrong motives,
or from trying to boost one’s self-esteem.
Another entire
set of people tends to drop out rather than burn out. Among 18- to
22-year-olds, around 70% drop out of church after graduating from high school.
Reasons they give for doing so include life changes, needing a break, moving
away to college, work interference, judgmental or unfriendly pastors or church
members, a change in their views, or an acknowledgement that they previously
only attended to please someone.
God’s work
requires determination. The abundant life Jesus offers requires the same.
Otherwise, we’ll change like the leaves or run hot and cold like water. The
power to remain steadfast instead of becoming lukewarm doesn’t lie within us,
but in the power of God’s Spirit. He provides the want that keeps us keeping
on—and for the right reasons.
Don’t let a lukewarm
faith cause you to turn like the leaves. Serve God with consistency and
diligence.
Father, enable me
to check my motives for serving you. Then, give me the staying power to serve you
faithfully until the end.
I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.
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