Lukewarm Growth is a Problem in a Short Growing Season
Ed, my old neighbor from Saskatchewan, told me last week that he went to a farm auction north of Lipton, SK. When he mentioned the farm and the name of the people who had the sale, I told him that I had been at that farm. Ed didn’t like hearing that I had visited farm families that were members of our parish when I was a pastor at Lipton. My old neighbor shuddered at the idea that clergy types could show up at a person’s farm. He complained that surely a person should be safe from religious fanatics at his barn or Quonset. When I suggested that members welcomed a visit from their pastor, and he was skeptical. Ed scoffed at my comment. He said that I should hear what people say about their clergy at coffee chats. I asked Ed if most people spoke only the truth and nothing but the whole truth at a coffee time. “Mostly, they do,†he assured me, “unless they have an ax to grind.”
It seems we all have an ax to grind about one thing or another. My daughter told me that she was very disappointed with her hanging flower baskets on her porch. They were sickly and bedraggled looking. I asked her if she had picked off the dead blooms, and if she had given them any plant food or fertilizer. She pleaded guilty to not doing either measure of plant care. After removing the dead flowers and watering with liquid plant food, the hanging flower baskets became impressive in growth and new flowers. They needed applications of plant food and personal care to perk them up.
Ed, when he was my neighbor next door, repeatedly told me that everyone needs a shot of whiskey to perk them up now and again. I could never agree with Ed about whiskey being a tonic to get improved vitality. I can say that I have found liquid fertilizer a real growth booster of flowers and vegetable. Sometimes the soil, sun and rain are not enough to bring the flowers or vegetables to their full potential.
God’s word can give us spiritual life and growth. It is God’s plant food or fertilizer for our souls. When we delight in and thirst for God’s word, we become like a tree planted by streams of water. The tree will not wither or die from lack of water, but grows to its full potential yielding fruit in its season.
Christians may be lukewarm, neither hot nor cold in their faith. Although they appear at church, they exhibit little growth or fruit in their Christian lives. They are lukewarm and stagnant in Christian growth. They are not hot in faith having it cooled off as they walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners and sit with the mockers of God. Their choice of associates makes the word of God in danger of being spit out of their minds and actions. The company of sinners and mockers is like scorching heat and choking thorns upon the growth of the word of God in Christian lives. Being comfortable, neither hot or cold, towards God’s Word is dangerous to our Christian faith.
