In Our World of Gray

(Read Revelation 3)

In a world of gray where many lines are blurred, Christian believers must face an ongoing battle of being both authentic and faithful. God’s word as breathed in the Bible, is clear about real (eternal) and worldly (temporal) loyalty. So Christians over the past 2000 years have walked a tightrope between adopting society’s acceptable beliefs or following God’s ordained commands.

“You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit.”
Matthew 7:16-17

A woman friend of mine had been dating her boyfriend for a few months and in his mind, everything was great. He was acting recklessly, living every moment for himself and his enjoyment. He lived life on his terms with a fun, pretty girlfriend in the background. After a while, she laid down the law. Apparently, she didn’t agree with his half-hearted commitment to their relationship. Even though it was early in the relationship, they truly loved each other but he just wasn’t ready to demonstrate it.

In Revelation, Jesus revealed direct messages for the seven churches in Asia through the Apostle John. Most of the churches received encouragement or commendation, but Jesus admonished the church of Laodicia.

“‘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

For my friend, there was no gray, only black-and-white. She had no room for doubting. Jesus meant the same thing in the passage above for the people of Laodicia and all believers ever since. My friend was through with her boyfriend’s waffling. His lukewarm commitment to their relationship showed a lack of trust, loyalty, or a firm belief in their bond. He clearly needed a wake up call. And according to Jesus in Revelation 3, so did the members of the church in Laodicia.

No one wants a wake up call. They attack our egos. They force us to look in the mirror and see ourselves for who we are, not what we think we are. Wake up calls from Jesus Christ have an even greater purpose — they accomplish a spiritual purpose. They remove our tendency to be lukewarm about our commitment to our savior. By changing our relationship from a lukewarm one, we are surrendering to God’s will for us and trusting in him to provide whatever balance he thinks we need.

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.'”
Isaiah 29:13

A little more about my friend with her relationship challenges. She is a devoutly Christian soul. She never had a “come to Jesus” lightning-strike moment. She, “has been a Christian believer,” her whole life. During middle school, she did become aware of the majesty of Christ’s higher power. At that time, she was awakened to the fact that placing her trust in God for her biggest priorities would get her through hard times. Her mom, her aunts, her cousins, and her church family have given her the faith she has today. While her faith isn’t flashy, exciting, or the fabric of movies, it is true — it works. The wake up call conversation with her boyfriend paid off. She has been in a loving marriage for 35 years with two great children and a granddaughter.

The city of Laodicia in what is modern day Turkey, was located between the cities of Heiropolis and Colossae. Both of these cities were known for pristine water that flowed through them. Heiropolis had a spring flowing with hot, medicinal water and Colossae was known for its cold, refreshing, and wonderfully tasting water. Laodicia was renowned for its dirty, lukewarm water. It was so foul, that visitors spat it out after tasting. In light of this, we can see that both “hot” and “cold” as described in Revelation 3:15 were considered good and useful. Yet, the “lukewarm” water of Laodicia was disgusting and useless.

“He answered, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'”
Luke 10:27

Jesus broke down all of God’s rules and mandates into those simple rules. God does want us all in. He does not wish that we merely follow the rules, he wants us to desire to do what’s right. He wants us to be a believer from the inside. He wants us to have an imprint of him in our hearts.

In case you hadn’t figured it out, the woman friend mentioned in this devotion is my wife. I was the stubborn, self-centered half-committed boyfriend. The relationship I have with my wife is a reflection of the relationship she and I have with our God. I have learned and gained so much from living with and witnessing to her faith. She has gotten through the premature loss of her mother, close friends, and many other earthly pains simply by her full-on loyalty to Jesus Christ. There is no waffling to her greatest priority. There is only love.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
John 3:16

Key Applications:

1. Have you ever experienced a wake up call? Extreme wake up calls are called interventions. There are times in all our lives, where we need a close friend or family member to interrupt our destructive patterns. Whether it’s about substance abuse, pornography, illegal behavior, or blind pride – we all need help at one time or another. Be vigilant about your weaknesses. Are there areas in your life where you could use some intervention?
2. Have you ever tried to “wake up” someone you’re close with? It’s important for all Christians to have a battle partner or someone who holds us accountable. If you don’t have one, ask someone you love and trust. Make sure they’re a believer who sees you as a fallen soul and who also sees the hope of God’s love in your life. Talk regularly with this person. Check-in with each other and be accountable to God’s plan for you both.
3. Are you all-in for Christ? Do you worship and pray to Him when things are good? When in public, are you embarrassed to admit you’re a believer? Yes, Jesus said not to pray boastfully, but he also said to believe in him. Do you?

Where else in your life can you live out the teachings of Christ? Look for next week’s Devotion.