By Stephanie Medina Elizondo
Neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm.
People who seek a relationship with God, should know that it is not always easy maintaining your spirituality. I am here to share who God truly is to me and the controversy behind who I believe God is in our society.
John 2:6. “Whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.”
So, what is being lukewarm? Being lukewarm is being one foot in with the world and one foot in with God. From this, there is a lot of fear with choosing to be only hot or cold. Why is it that a person cannot just be one or the other?
Being ‘hot’ means to be sold out for Jesus. You commit yourself to the promise between you and Jesus and committing your life to him. Essentially, you would not be living for the world or to please yourself, but only to God. Being ‘cold’ is choosing to live for the world and allowing our own fleshly desires to take full control of our life.
Revelation 3:15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.”
Our flesh desires comfort, which is to stay right in the middle with God. From this, it can cause our flesh to always lean more towards the lukewarm side of Christianity. This for many can lead into complete confusion and inability to hear him. Inability to hear the plans he has prospered for you, how much he loves you, and how much he wants to save you.
The beautiful thing is, our God is not a God of confusion but of truth and surrender. As followers of Jesus, we need to walk the walk with him. The more we submit ourselves by walking the way Jesus wants us to walk, we are letting God take guidance over our life. This requires a lot of faith that grows stronger within time. A walk with Jesus means we let go of things in our lives that do not benefit us.
Unfortunately, our generation normalizes walking half way with God. I was once a worldly woman, a cold woman, and a lost woman instead of a Godly woman. Before walking in the fruits of Jesus, I struggled with being a woman that the generation wanted me to be not who Jesus wanted me to be. I experienced this due to bondages in my life that I was not aware of at the time. I struggled with being sexually immoral, alcohol addictions, living the nightlife, hung out with the wrong people, and was in a season of complete loneliness. I never understood why I kept making these decisions for myself that were not benefiting me spiritually at all. I truly believed that I would never be happy in my life.
It wasn’t until Aug. 2023, that I decided to give my life to Jesus. In that very moment when I told Jesus “I do, thy will be done” is when my life had a complete turn of events. I realized that my relationship with the Lord had saved me. One thing I learned was leaving bad habits. I lost fake friends, stopped drinking, ended the nightlife, and left behind immodesty. I was able to receive a spiritual breakthrough and let go of bondages that kept me captive. Jesus removed the veil and gave me his eyes to see the world differently, which is why I am here writing this article to you.
Matthew 12:30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually against me.”
Many followers of Jesus vow their trust to him but surround themselves with the wrong people. They say they love Him but disobey his presence and guidance. His supporters say they love and trust Jesus but do the exact opposite of how God wants everyone to be in their lives! This generation of worshippers listen more to other forms of spirituality rather than our own God.
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Being a follower of Jesus is not about checking off boxes to look good on paper. It is not being half way or cold with Jesus, but being all in with Jesus. It is about understanding how to wear the armour of God in our daily lives as young adults. Everything around us is a spiritual battle with and without God. We battle everyday with our flesh, our society, our morals, and our beliefs.
Psalm 110:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments”.
Let’s lean more towards the one who died on the cross for all of our sins. God is a God of love, truth, compassion, forgiveness, deliverance, breakthrough, and new beginnings. So here is my takeaway for you. Who is your God that you speak of?
