Thorns

Lukewarm.

It's a word many if not most of us have heard at one point or another.

It's an adjective that describes the character of a person.

It has negative connotation.

And it has gotten to the point in which the adjective has so overtaken the noun (its subject) that it is literally chocking all faith from that individual.

The sad thing is that many are lukewarm, but don't know it.

Perhaps deep down they do.

Or perhaps they don't know what that word really even means?

A person can go to church, read the bible, pray occasionally, do good works and be Lukewarm.

Strange right?



In the Parable of the Sower that Jesus taught, he mentioned four kinds of soil. In this case I am addressing two: the thorny ground and the good soil.

But the difference between soil with weeds and soil that has no weeds is the heart of that soil, the heart of that individual.

If you had to lay everything down and walk away from it forever, would you?

What matters most to you? Who or what do you love most and can't live without? Where do you find your happiness, value, security, joy, hope?

The simple answer that every Christian (well, every person who calls themselves that) knows is Jesus.

But is Jesus your answer? Really and truly?

If your bank account was depleted and you didn't have a job anymore, would you still have peace? Joy? Faith? Hope?

Is your phone everything to you? Coffee? Friends? Family? Facebook? The internet? Sports? Movies? Celebrities? Politics? Career? School? Dreams of the future? That past hurt you can't let go of? Are any of those everything to you? What about your boyfriend? Girlfriend? Spouse? Child?

Are you everything to you? Looks? Food? Lust? Music? Your reputation? What you consider is your right to control?

If Jesus came to you and said you have to make a choice between all of that, your bubble, the world you've made around you, or HIM, who would you choose?

Who is your everything? Who is your smile? Who is your hope?

A Christian by definition is a Follower of Jesus Christ.

It is someone who has a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.

Jesus said,  “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." (John 15:12-17 ESV)



Indeed, faith is more than believing. It has life in it. At least it should if it is genuine.

But a plant being chocked by weeds struggles to live.

It can't do what it was meant to do.

It needs to be free to grow and bear fruit, produce, become more.



Lukewarm. A term that is heard of, but not always understood.

I was Lukewarm once. Then Jesus came with Authority, Love, Gentleness, Truth.

Who do you love? Who do you choose? Who do you love more, Jesus or everything else?

"For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeits his soul?" -Lord Jesus    Mark 8:36 ESV