Turn Up the Heat!

I mentioned yesterday the trouble I have with my coffee cooling off while I'm busy. It never fails, whether I'm cleaning, writing, playing with the baby, doing my makeup, or a myriad of other things, if I don't drink my coffee in the first five minutes, it gets lukewarm.

All week we have discussed our temperature....hot, cold, or lukewarm. Lukewarmness is a problem, physically and spiritually. The good thing is that it is easily remedied. If my coffee gets a little cool, all I have to do is pop it in the microwave and heat it back up. Sometimes, my coffeepot shuts off (automatic shut-off) before I think it's going to, and the whole pot starts to cool off. Heating it back up is as simple as turning the power back on.

When we become spiritually lukewarm, it is because we have "turned off the heat". Romans 12:11 says that we are to be "fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." God desires us to be spiritually hot. If we are no longer fervent or hot for Him, He is the answer to our problem. He says to the church in Revelation 3:18, "I counsel thee to buy of me..." and "...be zealous therefore, and repent..." (Rev. 3:19).

So, how do we turn the heat up, and become spiritually hot?

1. Stay in the Word of God (daily reading, study, meditation, and memorization)

God's Word is "like as a fire..." (Jer. 23:29; 20:9). The disciples on the road to Emmaus said to one another, "Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? (Lk. 24:32).

2. Spend time in fellowship with the Lord (Acts 24:32)

We need to ask the Lord to help us and to teach us (Phil. 2:13).

3. Surrender my heart to receive rebuke and repent (Rev. 3:19)

4. Be Spirit-filled (Acts 2:3-4)

Living a life that is surrendered to the Spirit of God and obedient to Him will produce fire and fervency.

5. Seek to please God above all else (Ps. 73:25; Deut. 6:5; Mt. 22:37)

If we will do these five things, we can be assured that our hearts will stay at the right spiritual temperature. We should check ourselves often. Lukewarmness is easily obtained; it simply comes from doing nothing. Keeping a fervent heat requires desire and diligence, but is well worth the effort! May we encourage one another to stay on fire for the Lord!!!