A Common Misconception: What Makes a Christian Lukewarm?

The Lukewarm Christian. We all know this person, right? When I was a teenager, I thought I knew what it meant to be lukewarm. I knew that after things like Maywood and CYC, I was "on fire" for God. And I made the assumption that being "on fire" meant I was where I needed to be. And if I wasn't "on fire"(which was generally the case) I must have been either cold or lukewarm. This resulted in me feeling guilty the majority of the time. Because, to be honest, those mountain-top spiritual experiences that occurred during Maywood, CYC, and other things just didn't last as long as I would have liked for them to.

The verse says:
"I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."
Revelation 3:15-16

As I have matured, I have begun to realize that I had a very real misconception about what it actually means to be a lukewarm Christian. Being married allows me to realize so much more about my relationship with God. I can better understand why Christians are called the "bride of Christ" now than at any other time before.

Many people have misunderstandings of love. "Falling in love" is an amazing experience, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. Falling in love is, mainly, a huge rush of emotions. I think when I first became a Christian, these mountain-top experiences caused me to "fall in love" with God, and all I felt was a huge rush of emotions.

After the emotions wore off in my relationship with Matt, I soon realized that there was a lot more to love than I thought. Love in its purest form is not about emotions. It is about choices. and it is when the emotions wear off in a relationship that the rubber really meets the road. This is when it's not always easy to choose the loving thing. And sometimes we fail. But we have to constantly work at making the choice to love, despite how we feel or what we want. We have to learn to be selfless, making choices that will show the other person that we love them, even when we don't always feel like it.

This piece of information can transform a marriage relationship. And understanding this has helped me to have a better understanding of being a Christian. I've realized that those mountain-tops that I used to experience were just the beginning. I was in a whirlwind of emotions as I learned about God and fell in love with Him. But now, as I mature in my relationship with Him, the emotions have all but worn off. At first, I was afraid. Because I have believed that being "on fire" was to be on an emotional, spiritual mountain-top. And I've been afraid that maybe I was lukewarm, or even cold.

However, I am beginning to realize that my relationship with God is not so different from my relationship with Matt. Now that I've fallen in love with God, the emotions are wearing off. And now I get to experience love in its purest form: love as a choice. In the same way that I choose to make loving choices for Matt, even when I don't feel like it, I am learning to choose to make loving choices for God, even when I don't feel like it. I am going to fail at times. But I think being a "hot" Christian means that we strive make every choice with God in mind. We think about how our choices are going to feel to God. Will they make Him feel loved? Or neglected? Or disappointed? We can't be perfect. But if we can consider God when we make choices and make loving choices for Him, I think we will be where we need to be: Christians who are "hot." I think a "hot" Christian is best defined as one who strives to make every choice with God in mind, making those choices that show God that we love him. I think a "lukewarm" Christian is best defined as someone who just doesn't consider God when they make choices. And a "cold" Christian is best defined as someone who doesn't even care how their choices will make God feel.

I am not cold or lukewarm just because I am not on a mountain-top. If I am making choices that show God that I love Him, I am a "hot" Christian. It is our choices that define whether or not we are lukewarm. Whereas I use to think it was about emotions, that is absolutely not true. It is about our choices.

So what do your choices say about your Christianity? Based on these definitions of "hot," "cold," and "lukewarm," where do you stand? Don't feel guilty just because you are not always on a "spiritual high." I love my husband. But just because the emotions are not always there does not mean that I don't really love him.It's the same way with God.

Spiritual maturity is much deeper than how we feel in the moment. It is about learning to focus on making the right choices-the choices that express our deep love for our Heavenly Father.