My Greatest Fear: Lukewarm Christianity

I've never been so afraid of living life as a lukewarm Christian. As I read "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis tonight, God awakened in me a very real fear. The fear of normalicy. Of living life day to day being "good" and going to church and saying a spiritual sounding prayer now and then. This fear sounds irrational and ill founded, but consider this. Which is more difficult to enter the Kingdom of God: The pronounced atheist who doesn't believe in God or heaven; or the man who takes his family to church every Sunday, smiles politely, says prayers at family meals, and even teaches Sunday school, yet has never had faith in God a day in his life? You may be tempted to say the atheist. I disagree. The atheist is unsure of the answer, he can be shown. But the church going man  is so close to the truth, he is certain he's got this church life figured out and no one can convince him otherwise. 

It's so easy to buy into Satan's lie. To be neck deep in church activities, jot down some verses now and then, to say nightly prayers and think that all of that is good. That that's enough. It's not! God isn't satisfied with anything less than ALL OF US. When you become a Christian, you must lay down your life and pick up the cross. It sounds scary, and crazy, and foolhardy. But it's the best decision I've ever made! When I give everything I've got to God, I experience such fullness of joy, and peace, and love as cannot be described! Being in the center of his will is the most beautiful thing in the world. 

But I'm a selfish creature, I have to commit myself to him daily. Sometimes hourly. I cannot tell you how many times I've read the Bible in the morning, left my peaceful room and snapped at someone at the breakfast table. Hurt their feelings or made them mad when I said something I shouldn't. I absolutely hate it when they go on to say, "You need to go spend some time with Jesus. You obviously haven't had your quiet time this morning." And of course I seethingly snap back, "YES, I have!" And what does that do? Prove their point. 

I am a hypocrite and I am a sinner. But that does not justify the moments when I sin. The scariest moments are not those when I've sinned and known it. The scariest moments are when I sin and don't realize it because I'm either spiritual blind or have justified my sin as being ok. 

1 Corinthians 10:12 says, "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!"

I am weak. I am not enough. I need a Savior and have one. I have to remind myself of these truths daily on my knees. Because the closer you walk with Christ, the better you can hear his warning, the more obvious sin is.