Get off the Bench

“So, because you are lukewarm -- neither hot nor cold -- I am about to spit you out of my mouth.”  (Revelation 3:16)

Many people have already given their life to Christ. Many Christians are suited up and trained up, but there is a problem. Many believers today need to get up. You should feel a little uncomfortable if you are not getting up. Are you a benchwarmer? You know Christ and you have been following Him for some time. You know the plays, but you are sitting on the bench; and you are not completely engaged.

I don't know what is happening in your life right now, but I know that God doesn't have any benchwarmers! He doesn't want us to be sitting on the sidelines, talking to each other. He wants us to be ready to go. He wants us to either be on the field, or be ready to get onto the field the moment He sends us into the game. Keep these three things in mind if you want to get up off the bench and start actively following Christ:

1. If you are more concerned with what God can do for you than what God wants you to do for Him, you need to get up.
As believers, many of us mean well, but we are more concerned about God giving us what we want than giving God what He wants. The first question we need to ask ourselves in any decision is, “God, what do you want me to do?” We need to stay long enough, asking that question in the presence of God, through prayer and the study of the Word of God. When we do so, we will know in our knower what He wants us to do, what He wants us to say and not say, and how He wants us to live and not live.

2. If you only follow the Lord when it’s convenient, you need to get up.
How often do you engage in worship? How often do you study the Word of God? How often are you a spiritual person in action? If you only follow the Lord when it's convenient, you need to get up. If you are only following Him when things get tough, you need to get up. You need to be engaged and realize that God has more for you than you could ever imagine. Being a Christian is so much more than just using God as a life-preserver. It means worshipping and following Him every single day.

3. If you have one foot in the church and one foot in the world, you need to get up.
Revelation 3:16 makes it very clear what God thinks about being lukewarm. This is the description of someone who has one foot in the world and one foot in the church. God wants you to be fully rooted in a relationship with Christ. He desires that we live a life that honors Him and only Him. Instead of being lukewarm and partially committed, He wants you to be all in for Christ.