Enthusiastic Life

The teaching that was given at church this morning spoke to me in a powerful way. The scripture meditation was taken from Revelation 3:14-22. It is the letter written to the Laodiceans - the church that is neither hot nor cold, but is the lukewarm spiritually charged people who will be spit out of the mouth of God. The message presented today was that American spirituality as a whole is lukewarm. American Christianity is an apathetic spirituality that may not be blasphemous, but neither is it the empowered joyous life of the Spirit that identifies all that is of God. (Perhaps this is not what the teacher said - but what I heard.)

What I heard was that we are called to live enthusiastic lives as Christians. Enthusiasm is what the early Christians described as the feeling that follows a person who comes to faith. (see the wikipedia definition) Literally, enthusiasm is being "in God." It is this place of being in God that we find joy. Enthusiastic people are Christians who are on fire (really hot) for God.

I sense that I have been trying to attain a lukewarm lifestyle. This can be applied in my spiritual life and within my personal life of being a husband and father. Whenever the opportunity of living in God, of being an enthusiastic/passionate person, has been presented, I've denied it in fear of failure.

Today, I've been reminded that God is not someone who is moderately controlled and safe. God loves extravagantly. God's wrath is like a raging fire. His mercy is as wide as the ocean. He is a God who is aggressive and unashamed - and therefore he is a beautiful, passionate, good God.

Today, I've been reminded that God wants the same kind of life for us. To be husbands who love extravagantly and fathers who extend wide mercy.