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“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” Revelation 3:15–16 (NIV)
God created us to reflect His image through our emotions. He created us with the ability to think for ourselves, to be curious, to dream. He gave us the capacity both to feel hurt and to be skeptical. It honors the Lord when He sees His creation in touch with his or her emotions. Our awareness of how we feel is God-honoring because, after all, He gave us this capacity.
The Bible, particularly in Revelation 3, warns us against being lukewarm. God created us to feel, to express, and to experience. Being lukewarm is like being numb, not having a desire to care. This is not how God intended our life experience to be lived, and therefore it is the most dangerous feeling of them all. Lack of care.
I find encouragement in this Scripture when I’m wrestling with emotions. Feelings of lack, heartbreak, longing, fear…even feelings of sadness or grief. Even though these are not the feelings of contentment, trust, and hope God wants me to live from, they are feelings that honor Him because they come from a place of caring deep in my heart.
Give yourself permission to see the beauty in the full range of human emotion. This gift from our Creator should be celebrated as we fix our eyes on the One who can make all of our paths straight, our hope sure, and our faith known.
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