In 1 Thessalonians 4:1, Paul says to the church in Thessalonica, “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more” (NIV). Notice what Paul is saying there. He is commending them on how they are living. He is giving them a written pat on the back for doing the very thing he had taught them to do. They were living lives that pleased God.

Did you notice what else Paul is saying? “Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.” In other words, never settle. When we settle we tend to drop off.

Not only was Paul asking them, he was urging them. He was encouraging them that no matter how good they were doing there is always room to grow. When we stop growing we begin to settle.

If we are going to keep our enthusiasm up, our God-inspired fire ignited deep within our soul, then we must never settle. Once we feel like we have arrived then we are no longer there. My encouragement to you is to never settle. Celebrate your victories, learn from your mistakes, and either way you keep moving forward. When we settle for comfortable, we start the process of becoming nothing.

In Revelation 3:15-16, Jesus said to the church at Laodicea, “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” (NIV). The word “spit” used here is actually better translated “vomit”. In other words, when we settle for being lukewarm we make Jesus sick to his stomach.

Jesus is looking for people that have that God inspired fire ignited deep within their soul that drives them to never settle, live with passion, and turn the world upside down. May we never settle. Keep striving to grow and improve. Keep living out your life of enthusiasm! You have come too far to settle now!

Periodically we should all ask ourselves, “How am I using my time on this planet? To do good? Do evil? Or just gather dust?” One is “hot”, one is “cold”, and the other is simply “lukewarm”.

Now is a good time to ask yourself those questions. Catch the fire and keep on burning. God has big plans for you. Do not be so comfortable, lukewarm, and settled that you miss it.

IGNITE YOUR ENTHUSIASM!