Make Room, Giving Jesus Space to Fully Transform Your Heart and Lifeनमुना

Heart Check

CONSIDER

One of the best parts of hot cocoa on a cold day is its warmth. What’s meant to be hot tastes better, hot. And what’s meant to be cold tastes better, cold.

In today’s key Scripture, Jesus has something to say to the church of Laodicea about the temperature of their souls. He makes three important points in Revelation 3:15-17.

SCRIPTURE

Verse 15 - “‘I know your works…

In Old Testament Scripture, God is identified as “El Roi' which means “the God who sees.” Please don’t let this slip you into a “cop” mindset of Jesus.

He’s not on the lookout for what you’re doing wrong. No. Jesus’ ability to “know” and “see” all things gives us more reason to offer Him our whole hearts.

Why? Because it’s here, in our hearts, that He desires to transform our works into good and pleasing ones.

Verse 16 - “you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold…”

Jesus is diagnosing the church of Laodicea with the spiritual disease of apathy. Apathy means a “lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.” This is an issue of the heart.

The opposite of an apathetic heart would be a fervent heart - one burning hot for Him.

Verse 17 - “not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked…’”

Apathy has symptoms: self-sufficiency, pride, and ignorance. The church of Laodicea was unaware of their condition. Sometimes, we, too, can be clueless about what’s going on in our hearts.

Thankfully, we have this Scripture and others to help us do a “heart check.” We do this by allowing a Scripture to read us, versus us reading it.

The Antidote

A heart check isn’t meant for beating yourself up; it’s meant to draw you closer to apathy’s antidote: God’s love. To love anyone deeply, we need to spend time with them.

God’s love in our hearts is like a bag of tea steeping in hot water. The longer it sits, the more the cup of water becomes like the tea.

CONNECT with GOD How’s your heart? Where do you recognize apathy? If you had to diagnose yourself as hot, cold, or lukewarm, what would you be?

DIG DEEPER Use Proverbs 16 to do a “heart check.” Allow the Scripture to read your heart. What is God revealing to you? Confess. Let your heart steep in the Scripture. Be transformed.