What's your temperature? HOT? COLD?

So last night in our Bible Study, we watched a video that really made me stop and think.  This past week I struggled with feeling empty and emotionless.

Well, last night, I left feeling very alive.  Not excited for God per se, but alive and aware about how NOT excited I am for God.  We watched a video by Joel Thomas called Choose to Lose.  I think the bottom line in it (if I can paraphrase it) was I need to loose things in my life in order to win Christ.  I jotted down the question: WHAT AM I WILLING TO LOSE?

Then this morning, this video from Francis Chan comes across my desk, and I tell you . . . I am feeling a lot more than I really want to.  It made me really question my faith!  Not question God, but it made me question what I believe.  I know WHAT I believe, and I know WHO I believe, but do I truly believe it?  Francis challenged the listeners that if we really BELIEVE GOD, we will choose to lose everything for Christ.  We will put everything in our lives behind us to put God first.

He asked:  What are you putting before God?  He shared the verses in Revelation3:16-21

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

I have been made increasingly aware that my walk with God is not all it should be.  In reading the book The Christian Atheist (Craig Groeschel), in watching these two videos it really made me think about how little I am losing for God.  It made me so aware of all the things I am putting in front of my relationship with God.

My relationship with God should be SO IMPORTANT that everything else pales in comparison.  I know at Lent we give something up for God, but shouldn't we be giving everything up for Him?  ALL THE TIME?? Shouldn't I be putting such little value on the things around me that my focus, my value, my primary goal in life is to please God?  Oh how I have failed.  Oh how my life needs to change.

What am I willing to give up for God?  What am I willing to lose in or to win in my relationship with Jesus Christ?  One of the comments in our video last night was "Jesus didn't want to lose His life, but He did because He knew if He didn't, we all would have been lost."  So what am I doing for Him?  Am I putting Him first in my life?  Am I a hot Christian, a non Christian, or even worse a lukewarm Christian.  Because according to Revelation, if I AM a lukewarm Christian, I'm only fooling myself.  Because the very word Christian means follower of Christ.  NOT FOLLOWER OF OUR OWN DESIRES.

I need to lose myself, my life, my goals, my own selfishness - in order to gain Christ!

Be prepared to feel uncomfortable watching this video!  I can tell you, it has given me a lot to think about.