Sometimes I don’t feel like reading or studying my Bible, even though I know I should. I read God’s Word on my phone, but I struggle not to read it too fast. I like to watch Christian videos in various places, but often, I get drawn to those “other” (not porn) videos.I don’t always exercise my Holy Spirit gift of writing Christian poetry and devotionals either.
So does my lack of spiritual disciplines means that I’m a lukewarm Christian?
That is simply a combination of Satan and the world of flesh.
“[Rom 8:6-8 NKJV] For to be carnally minded [is] death, but to be spiritually minded [is] life and peace. Because the carnal mind [is] enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” Romans 8:6-8
The flesh is always subject to the things of the flesh. The flesh is always subject to the physical world. We are still in the World. However, now as a child of God, we are no longer of the World. This can be a hard concept for some to understand.
Always remember, thoughts lead to actions. When you start to think about something, play it over and over again in that movie theater of the Mind, you allow the Good or the Temptation to take hold. Just like feeding your body, garbage in, garbage out, when you feed your mind, your Spirit, what are you feeding it with? What you put in there is the type of thing you will receive out. Plant tomato seeds and expect to get watermelons? Of course not. Eat a bunch of candy and expect to be healthy? Of course not. Feed your spirit and mind with drugs, alcohol, porn, and negativity, and expect to grow in the faith of a Holy God? Of course not.
Then I would pray and ask God to lead you to a local Church that is teaching the Truth of Jesus, God’s Word, and go. In simple terms, we are to come together as a family. We are to encourage each other. Comfort each other. Strengthen each other. We are to mourn together. Laugh together. Celebrate together. And yes, even to keep each other in check. There is a real reason for our Church. It is for our own good. To help keep each other from falling. The areas you may be strong in, I may be weak. The areas you are weak in, I may be strong. We are to gather together to lift each other.
Hope this helps.
Peter
One reason could be belonging to a denomination. Often a denomination thinks it is doing a favor for their members by doing the “heavy lifting” for them with doctrinal bullet points. If the members just accept what they are told and do the required criteria, they are often assured that they are complete in Christ. The problem is that it may make the organizational system run efficiently, but fail the individual.
To measure the true effectiveness of a church one can look at each member and see if they are like Jesus. This is because the goal of churches should be that each member becomes like Christ.
Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
There are several reasons for being lukewarm.
Christianity was supposed to be about relationships (us with God and each other). Most churches are run as organizational systems that process components (us) efficiently. As a result, we often find relationships hindered. We often do not minister to each other because we do not even know each other. Even then we often only think of ministry in financial terms not recognizing the spiritual poverty all around us.
A Christian who would like to have a deeper Christian life is often swimming upstream. He has to fight against what he doesn’t know, what others find acceptable, and our common desire to be comfortable and indolent.
Two ways to start the deeper Christian life is to allow your curiosity lead you to investigate the answers to questions like was the Great Commission given to Israel or the church, or why did Jesus remain silent at one trial and speak at another. There are all sorts of interesting things that can be explored once one is freed to inquire instead of take in what others have determined.
A continuing honest self-examination can also be useful. If we can recognize and acknowledge those fleshly inclinations that divert us from growing in faith we can slowly take steps to redirect our interests.
It is possible to find web sites where other seekers have posted interesting things to consider and questions to ask. Here are a couple;
How about unattentive or lacking focus instead? Any chance you have ADD or ADHD?
How about this for an exercise. Begin a study of Psalms (since you like poetry). And begin taking on a whole psalm and taking it piece by piece. Find a passage in the psalm that resonates with you and just sit with it. No phones- Phone down, use a physical Bible and a notebook- go to a nice quiet space like a garden or a quiet comfortable room. Write the passage down so you can look at it by itself. And just sit with it.
Feel it (the sensations it invokes). If you feel nothing, write that down. Visualize the imagery. Write down what you picture. Think on the words, what it might have meant to the author, what is means to you. Write that down. Think about the subject being written about. Write that down. Ask God to speak to your heart in the quiet through His Holy Word and then just sit there or lay back and relax and rest. See what happens.
Start small, 5 or 10 minutes of silence after examination and stretch it out. Allow yourself to rest, fall asleep. If you become distracted, write down the thoughts when you become aware of them then return to the silence. Do this for a few weeks then look back at what you wrote down. See if you glean any knowledge or understanding that you did not have before.
You may also try choosing an inspirational sentence from the Psalm and using it like a mantra. Like, the Lord is my Shepherd, or add more words like I shall not want. Or His rod and His staff, they comfort me. Feel the comfort, imagine the rod and staff protecting you or a little lamb. Do this for several minutes. Maybe use prayer beads, like a Rosary, to count the times you aay or think the Mantra.
And make sure to journal about your journey. Thoughts and feelings that arise, along with insights. And the events in your life. See what transpires. See what changes in you begin to occur. Write it all down, make it conscious. (Keep an awareness of it.)
Do you belong to and attend a church evry Sunday?
Are you involved in church activities?
Do you pray for other people intelligently, not just oh God bless so and so?
May I suggest you do join a church, that rasther than read the bible on your phone you read an actual book and that you use a study guide and a notebook to write down what you read, what struck you in the passage you read and why, that you record what it encouraged you to pray about.
Hi,
From my experience, getting involved in various ministries such as nursing home visits, neighborhood and homeless outreach, food banks, prison ministry, etc… can truly help us stay connected, engaged, and continually rooted in God’s Word.
Since you mentioned poetry, that can also be a beautiful way to serve. A few years ago, on Christmas Day, I wrote a poem in French titled “Christmas in the Village.” It reflected on how poor villagers and children experience Christmas and the realities they face.
After writing that poem, God opened the door for our Christmas lunch ministry, where we now serve about 500 orphans and poor youth every year. I also wrote another poem, “The Children of Naponey,” which opened additional opportunities to minister to the youth in that community.
Sometimes, what you perceive to be lukewarm is your soul crying out for help. It is God’s Spirit knocking on your heart, calling out, “Hey! You’re getting off course. Come back where there’s fire.” Jesus told the church in Laodicea, “You are neither hot nor cold.” ~Revelation 3:15. That wasn’t about emotions. It was about a heart that had become satisfied with spiritual “croutons” when it had been designed to feast on the Bread of Life.
You are not the first believer to struggle with feeling conflicted. Paul said he delighted in God’s law, but there was another law at war inside him against the law of God ~Romans 7:22-23. That struggle is not a sign that you are spiritually dead. It is a sign that the battle is being waged and the Spirit will not let you rest. Remember, God disciplines His children because He loves them ~Hebrews 12:6. That gnawing feeling of “something is not right” is evidence that He is at work in you.
Let me be clear. Lukewarmness does not occur because you skipped a day of Bible reading or didn’t feel “led” to write a poem. Lukewarmness occurs when the heart begins to feed on everything else that leaves the spirit hungry. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” ~Matthew 6:21. When you start the drift toward things that do not build your spirit, that’s your cue to reset your eyes and heart back to the only One who can satisfy.
The solution is not trying to pep yourself up spiritually. You cannot generate fire. But you can return to the Source of it. James said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” ~James 4:8. That is not a suggestion. That is a promise. God is not running from you. He is waiting for you to turn off all the noise and turn your heart toward Him once again.
Jesus did not say to the lukewarm church, “I am through with you.” Instead, He said, “Be zealous and repent” and “open the door.” ~Revelation 3:19-20. In other words, quit grazing on spiritual “potato chips” and re-seat yourself at the table with your Savior. When you do that, He knows how to fan into flame what has grown cold.
So don’t panic. Don’t call yourself something God has not called you to be. If you are feeling the drift, that means the Spirit is tugging on you. Go back to the Word with intentionality, not rapidity. Set aside the things that are zapping you and trust that the One who began a good work in you will bring it to completion ~Philippians 1:6. God doesn’t set a flame in someone’s heart and let it go out. He knows how to make it burn again.
What’s in your heart makes you a Christian. Even God took a day off.
Thank you all for your comments! I can’t attend church physically, but I found a church with online services, so I can worship our Heavenly Father that way.
Because you’re living near Vientiane? Sorry, but I have heard this one before. That’s from a very famous evangelistic seminar, it’s absolutely introductory, and you’re supposed to read the whole message to “Laodicean”. The different churches at that time had points good and bad, you have to really pick that over, it’s in John. Well, actually, it’s in Revelation, which is by John.
That’s become an extremely mundane play on words, there’s a Country called Laos, and it’s capitol is Vientiane, which is the French word for violation. Laos used to be called Revlon, which is related the revelation. Don’t sweat that unless you’re over eighty, is my advice. If you’re really a former member of the French Foreign Legion, and someone might still be stalking you because you were a member of the pre revolutionary old guard, then your a big boy, and you can handle yourself.
Otherwise, I’d be likely to suggest that someone is merely engaging in word play.