What a lot of people don’t realize is that when you serve Christ, it comes at a price. You are going to be called all kinds of names, you will lose some friends if you are walking in Christ. If you are lukewarm you may not lose your friends because being average doesn’t make people uncomfortable. By you staying lukewarm you make others feel better since they too are probably lukewarm.
It’s when you turn that heat up to 212 degrees for Christ that people tend to want to walk away from you. The true friends of course will stay right there with you but the fake friends will leave.
No matter what we do in life, if we turn the heat up, we lose friendships over that and part of that is a good thing as people who aren’t growing with you will hold you back. That’s what they want is to hold you back because why should you be or do better than them? Why not settle for being average just like everyone else.
You may be fine with being average but I am not. I don’t want an average family who is lukewarm in everything they do. I want a family who has passion for Christ and a zeal for life. Do you really want to be around people who just don’t care about life? Or just live their life like there is no God? Of course not. As Proverbs says:
Proverbs 13:20 – Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.
Did you notice that while it says being around a wise person makes you wise, it does not say that being around a fool makes you a fool? No it says being around fools will cause you to suffer harm.
What God already knew is that you may still be wise but by being with fools they will eventually do something that directly or indirectly makes you suffer. Have you ever seen a story where someone dies because they were in a car with a drunk driver? That is a prime example of this verse.
There are many examples out there that would go with this verse and I am sure you have been a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time with people you really shouldn’t have been around and you suffered for it.
This has nothing to do with judging but in being accountable to yourself. Only you can be accountable to God. No one can hold your hand and do it for you. Only you have to make those tough decisions and by making those tough decisions you will lose some friendships.
People come into our lives sometimes only for a season to help us get to the next phase of your life. Some come into your life for a lifetime to help you grow as a person and some cross paths with you to show you an example of what you should and could be or to show you an example of what you shouldn’t be.
Have you ever seen someone and said now that is the kind of person I never want to become? That is the reason for some people. Yes we are to try and help them on their path but in most cases the best help you can do for them is to just be the example that Christ is leading you to be.
You can throw the bible at people all you want but that’s not going to save them. If you just live your life in such a way that when people see you they see a light like they have never before, they will start to ask you questions on what gives you so much strength. When people start asking that they will listen but when you tell them how bad they are they will never listen!
So the whole point is when you start following Christ the way you are supposed to not only will you lose friendships but you will be called radical. What I have learned is that I would rather be called radical from the world than lukewarm from God.
Now go and live your life on fire for Christ. Burn yourself alive with his passion and people will come from miles away to watch.
Ask God to give you the courage and wisdom to know when it’s time to walk away from a friendship and know when it’s time to turn the heat up on that friendship. We know not all friendships are supposed to last a lifetime.
Ask him to help you discern whether your friends are truly your friends or whether they are as fake as they can be. Ask him to also discern whether you need to pull away from that friendship because maybe it is bringing you down with them.
Lastly, Ask God to help you guard your heart from wanting to stay in a friendship so badly that you lower your standards and compromise in order to keep that friendship alive.
As I write this I have realized that I need a part 2 so look out for that soon!
Be Inspired or be Left Behind!
Chris Benton