Seeking the Giver: Why nurturing your spiritual temperature matters more than gifts

First Baptist Church: Spiritual Temperature

When I was a child, I decided that one day I just did not want to go to school. I knew the surest way to not go was to run a fever. So, I woke up that morning complaining of not feeling well, knowing the first thing my mother would do is grab the thermometer and check for fever. Since I did not have any fever, I devised a plan to put the thermometer next to a light bulb for just a minute to “give myself some fever.” When my mother returned to check the thermometer, my temperature was 110 and I was caught in my own deception. Needless to say, not only did I have to go to school, but I was disciplined for my attempt to get out of it.

Temperature is important for many things in life. From cooking to pouring concrete, temperature is very important in receiving the desired result. And temperature also applies to the universe around us. The planet Mercury is said to be very hot, whereas Pluto is said to be very cold. The obvious difference between the two is because Mercury is closer to the sun, and Pluto is farther away from the sun. A planet’s temperature and climate are determined by its proximity to the sun.

There’s an important spiritual principle here also. As a child of God, our spiritual temperature is determined by how close we are to Jesus. You often hear people say I wish I were closer to the Lord. The truth is that we are as close to Him as we desire to be, decide to be, and discipline ourselves to be. Our pursuit of God reveals our passion for God—or the lack of it. To experience a close relationship with someone, we must be willing to sacrifice other things and give ourselves fully to that person.

The psalmist David who knew something about being close to, and far away from, God wrote in Psalm 27: “Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me and answer me. When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, Lord, I will seek” (Psalm 27:7-8). Notice that the psalmist David didn’t tell us to seek God’s gifts – but His face! We are not to seek the gifts, but the Giver of the gifts! This is a theme repeated in both the Old and New Testaments. David would also remind us, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday (Psalm 37:4–6).

So, let me ask you, “What is your spiritual temperature?” Do you need to be closer to the Lord in order to increase your spiritual temperature to where God wants it to be? Then, seek His face today!

Please allow me the opportunity to invite you to begin the new year in church by visiting with us at Caruthersville First Baptist Church, 801 Ward Ave. We gather for Bible study time on Sunday mornings at 9:30 and then at 10:30 for worship. We meet at 5:00 on Sunday evenings for worship and a time of Bible study led by our pastor in our fellowship hall. We also have an online Bible study time on Wednesday evenings at 6:00 on our Caruthersville First Baptist Church Facebook page. We would love to have you visit with us!page. We would love to have you visit with us!