10 steps to avoid being a lukewarm Christian - How to Grow in Christ

In God's word, we read about the Laodicean Church. This was a lukewarm church. Our Lord Jesus Christ compared this church to lukewarm water.

They were not hot or cold. Hot water will warm you, and clean you. Cold water will refresh you. But lukewarm water is useless.

In the book of Revelation God tells us not to have a lukewarm faith. If we want to be used by the kingdom of God then we must put an effort into making sure we do not become a lukewarm Christian.

What is the lukewarm Christian meaning? It means that we are backsliding in our walk with God. We need a spiritual revival.

I was once reminded that if we are not moving forward then we are backsliding. There is no standing still.

We must always move forward. Here are ten tips to make sure you are moving forward.

 

One, Use the full armor of God.

God has given us the tools we need to make sure we are always moving forward. We read about this in Ephesians chapter six.

God has told us to use the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes with the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.

These tools that God has given us will help us fight the devil, overcome addiction, and live a pure life.

To live this pure life we have to put on each piece of this armor every single day. We read in the Bible in Ephesians 6:10-18

Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, stand.

If we want our home to be a Christian home where God is honored and the name of Jesus is spoken in respect, then we have to also teach our children to use the armor of God.

When we are all wearing our armor then we will be strong in the good times and the bad times.

 

Two, Preach the Good News of Jesus Christ every day.

God has called us to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone we know. To do that we need to know how to explain to some how to be saved according to the Bible.

We have to be ready to always speak about the things of God. We can speak with courage, and never be ashamed.

The grace of God is available to anyone who asks for it. God wants us to tell others how they can have eternal life. Never be ashamed of that. The Bible says in Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.

You can share God's love on social media or in person with a real relationship. Many Christians today are ashamed of the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Do not be one of these Christians. You do not need to be afraid of being a witness. Stand tall and be courageous in being a witness for God.

 

Three, Pray all day long.

One way to spend time in prayer is to meditate on the word of God. We will not be a friend of the world if we are in constant prayer, and meditating on the Word of God.

When we are in constant communion with God then the love of God will shine through us and touch all the people around us.

Perhaps this is why it says in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that we should.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

One of the ways I found to help me pray all day long was to turn talking to myself, into talking to God. I turn that inward dialog into a prayer to God.

And then I take time to be quiet and listen back to what God was saying to me. This prayer time is essential to our growth.

When you pray make sure you are also confessing your sins. We need to live our lives in a way that will make sure our hearts are always pure in God's eyes.

So when you pray take time to confess your sins.

 

Four, Praise God

Praise is an important thing in the Christian life. As a follower of Christ, we should be praising God every day. We can praise God for the beautiful creation when we are out for a walk.

We can praise God for our family as we are preparing meals. We can praise God for his good works in our lives.

In the Bible, there is a whole chapter written by King David dedicated to telling us to praise God. It is my favorite psalm. The 150th Psalm. We read.

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. -Psalm 150:6

 

This is a great chapter to memorize. Throughout the day, you can say this chapter out loud.

Speak it every day to make sure you are always in a posture of worship. Even when you go to sleep have worship music playing in the background.

This way you wake up in the morning to worship, spend your day in worship, and then end the day still in worship.

 

Five, find one practical way to serve someone every day.

 

The holy Bible says in Mark 10:45

   

For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

God is pleased with us, when we are his hands and feet, and we serve others. This does not mean only helping someone who is a good person.

We can share God's love with all types of people. We can buy a hot coffee for a homeless person on a cold day.

We visit a nursing home and take time to sit and talk with people who never receive visitors. We can buy a meal for someone.

There are so many ways that we can help other people. Try to serve one person each day. And when you do, remember that Jesus served others.

Today he serves people by using us. God wants to use to. What an incredible privilege that is.

 

Six, Thank God for everything.

 

The Western church has so many blessings that we have started taking them for granted.

We do not spend enough time in prayer thanking God for all the good things he has put into our lives. In 2 Corinthians 9:11, we read

    

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us, your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

How do we live a life full of thanksgiving to God? By finding ways to serve others. Take the time to show your gratitude to God every day.

Make a list of things you are thankful for and post them on your fridge, or at your office at work. The things of this world will make us forget to be thankful.

You have to make a conscious effort to always have an attitude of gratitude.

 

Seven, remember what Jesus did for you.

Before Jesus Died he prayed that God would remove this cup of suffering from him. But no matter what happened he would do the "will of my father" He was willing to sacrifice his life because he loved us.

Spending time thinking about the sacrifice of Jesus will keep us with a heart attitude of thankfulness.

When we think about the wages of sin, and what our sin cost Jesus Christ, then we will want to avoid sin and live for Christ.

We will want to crucify our sinful nature, and serve God.

   

We read these Bible verses in Galatians 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

As you are thinking about Jesus' death on the cross, remember why he died. Take this time to confess your sins to God.

There is never a way that we can ever understand what God did for us. The sacrifice was so great.

The Kingdom of Heaven is available to us because of what Jesus did for us. Every day remember this.

 

Eight, find a way to encourage another person every day

   

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Ask God to put someone into your life who needs to be encouraged. The Holy Spirit will guide you to this person.

You can encourage a friend to avoid worldly things. We all have difficult relationships in our life. You can even encourage one of the difficult people in your life. You can talk to true believers and remind them to trust God.

And you can talk to non-believers and tell them they are loved. There are many ways to encourage people.

When you spend time helping others and reminding them of what they can do, then we will grow in Christ. There are so many ways to send encouragement.

We can do this through a simple text message, or phone call. We can give a nice smile to someone as we pass them on the street.

We can tell a random stranger you love their outfit. Make it part of your life that you are encouraging people everywhere you go.

 

Nine, worship through songs and Psalms

 

God loves to hear our worship. It is hard to walk away from God when we are singing praises to him. Sing all day long.

Sing in the car, when you are cleaning the house, and when you are in the shower. Listen with your headphones when you are walking the dog.

Memorize Psalms and quote them throughout the day. These are ways to keep our minds focused on God.

We read in 1 Chronicles 16:23 “Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.”

If you love to sing then maybe get some backtracks and sing your favorite worship songs. You can even sing in church and help lead people to Christ.

Serving in church and leading others to Worship God is a way to make sure that we are always moving forward in our walk with God.

 

Ten, Read scripture.

 

Take time to read the Bible every day. You can learn how to have an effective Bible study, and that will help you grow and become more like Christ every day.

You can have scripture quotations around your home. I have verses posted on our bathroom windows, and I have at least one verse on a wall in each room of my house.

Some people find reading the Bible difficult. But we can learn to study the Bible on our own. As we learn these skills, we will grow closer to God.

There is a special blessing for anyone who reads the Bible.

   

We see in Revelation 1:3 “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

Reading the Bible every day may seem hard. There are many different ways to read the Bible. One suggestion that has worked well for me is to use the Bible App on my phone.

I can use the audio parts of the app and listen to the Bible as I go about my day. My favorite way to listen to the Bible is through the chronological order Bible. This is a great way to bring the Bible to life.

God wants to have a close and personal relationship with you. He doesn't want you to only talk to him on Sunday mornings.

God wants to be part of our life every day. When we start our day putting on the armor of God, and then witness to people we meet, all while praying and praising God.

We will grow strong in our relationship with God. When we allow ourselves to be the hands and feet of Jesus through acts of kindness we will become more like him.

When we live a life of thanksgiving, especially spending time thanking God for his sacrifice then we will become more like Christ.

We can encourage others, worship God, and read scripture. If this is how we live our life, day in and day out we will not ever become a lukewarm Christian.

These are the tips to make sure you are growing closer to God, and becoming more like Jesus