Question: Not too Hot, Not too Cold = ?

Answer: Lukewarm (yeah, so you might have heard that term before, read on.)

Note: The excerpts I have used are from the book Crazy Love byt Francis Chan (mainly the chapter "The Profile of the Lukewarm" (which is a self-evaluation tool. I repeat "SELF-evaluation). Other excerpts as marked are from the Bible. I found this very helpful for myself, so maybe you will, too:

"Lukewarm people tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they car more aboutwhat people think of their action (like church attendance and giving ) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives" (pg69).

What people think versus what God thinks...hmmmm. Which one carries more weight? Also, God is concerned with the HEART. (The reasons/motives behind what we do, our passions, our attentions, what we desire and love and what matters to us.)

"Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act..." (pg70)

"Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" (James 4:17). Nuf said.

"Lukewarm people gauge their morality or "goodness" by camparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren't as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horribe as the guy down the street" (pg72).

"The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men -robbers, evil-doers, adulterers- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get' " (Luke 18:11-12).

It's like saying, "God, thank you that I am not as bad as [insert name here]. That person has issues, sins alot, and is such a faker."  Now instead of being genuinly grateful for being rescued out of sin, we are judging others. :/ (btw, that's not good.) Kind of like if the thought crosses our minds "well i could be worse" or even somthing like "at least I'm still a virgin" -we're making ourself out to be better than we are/not feeling bad about current sin in our lives/and we are certainly not filled with a desire to be more like God. 

"Lukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is litle love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them , whose kids are better thletes than teirs, or with whom conversations are awkwerd or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached." (pg73).

For me this passage was a big "ouch". I was forced to consider how many times I had avoided so-and-so because of potential discomfort, judged someone, been hurt and my first impulse was to withdraw my love for them, or make conditions on my love. I can remember actually thinking "well i will love them if..." Immediately, in this context the two letter word "if" slaps conditions on our love for someone. Just imagine if Jesus had done that when He thought of us... point is God's love is unconditional, sacrificial, and open to us. If we aren't going to be lukewarm, the the "who, how, when, and why" we love others must be the way God loves. THis is how He showed his love: while we still despised Him, He DIED for us. 

"You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate you enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven." (matt5:43).

[Mental wheels are turning...hmm. maybe I'll write more on love itself at a later time. lol]

If we love God (... yes I actually did say "if") then we will want to do what He does and what He wants us to. Let me change the wording slightly: WHEN we love God, we actually DO do the things God does and wants us to. We don't do things first, we do things in response to what He has already done. 

"Jesus replied: ' Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' this is the first and greatest commandment" (matt22:37)

God wants all of us. Every fiber of our being, every breath we breathe, every thought to be for Him, every want and desire to be centered on HIM. Not however much we think is "enough to get us into heaven". lame. He is not satisfied for us to lukewarm. He wants us to love Him with our heart, soul, and mind.

I hope maybe you have gotten something helpful out of this. I recommend Crazy Love to you.