Daily Devotional

Does anyone want a beverage that is supposed to be hot or cold to instead be lukewarm? If I want a cup of ice-cold lemonade, I don’t want it to be lukewarm. If I want a cup of hot coffee, I don’t want it to be lukewarm. Whatever temperature a beverage is supposed to be, that’s the temperature we enjoy it most at.

I once had a terrible encounter with a lukewarm beverage. When I was about 5 or 6 my dad was drinking eggnog. I asked if I could have some and he poured me a small glass. I went and sat over by our fireplace to enjoy my drink. I was called out of the room, so I left my glass on the hearth and returned a few minutes later. I took a big sip of that eggnog and immediately spit it out of my mouth. It had turned lukewarm. (This event haunted me for years and I have only recently been able to enjoy eggnog again.)I spent a good chunk of my life as a lukewarm believer in Jesus but that is not the temperature we are intended to be. I believe a lukewarm faith is an area of constant danger of falling back into. Why? Because we as humans enjoy comfort. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think comfort in and of itself is wrong. I like comfortable clothes, I like a room to have a comfortable temperature, I want a bed that I can comfortably sleep in. Comfort isn’t the issue, the lengths to which we will go, or rather the things we are willing to avoid for comfort is where the issue lies.

It's easy to think that God wants us to live comfortable lives, but I don’t think that’s necessarily true. I also don’t think the opposite of that is true; that He wants us to live uncomfortable lives. I believe everything good comes from God (James 1:17), but sometimes the good He sends us isn’t comfortable. More than our comfort, I think God is concerned with our growth. Let’s be honest, growing isn’t always comfortable.When I was a teenager, I experienced times of growth that were accompanied by a good deal of discomfort or what my doctor referred to as “growing pains.” He explained to me that essentially as my bones grew my muscles needed to then stretch which was what was causing this discomfort. The times when I felt particularly sore were times of a “growth spurt.” Though it was uncomfortable, I was told it’s also fairly normal. Growth is often uncomfortable.

I have to tell you; I want comfort in my life. I would go to great lengths to avoid things that are uncomfortable. I once heard someone ask the question, “If you had to choose between your comfort or your growth, which would you choose?” Comfort is not a sin, but we have to be careful to be sure we aren’t choosing it over growth. Sometimes God’s will is uncomfortable, but His will is always best. We rarely have a choice about the season of life we’re in, but when those times of difficulty or discomfort come will our perspective be to see how quickly we can return to comfort or will we look for the opportunities to grow?

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.