I recently noticed that the Bible lists many things God LOVES and many things God HATES, but nothing He is neutral about.
It made me wonder, “Does being neutral attract anything from God?"
The only verse I could come up with that might be alluding to being neutral was, “Because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth" (Rev. 3:16).
This last week at a conference one of the participants took me aside and asked if I could list for him the value of speaking in tongues, as he was neutral about whether he should press in to receive the gift of speaking in tongues.
So off the top of my head, I recited the reasons tongues were valuable
- It is your spirit praying
- Your spirit is speaking directly to God, unhindered by your mind
- You are building yourself up
- 1000 surveyed pastors in England who spoke in tongues were found to be more emotionally solid than those who did not speak in tongues
- Paul said, “earnestly pursue” spiritual gifts
- My teaching on tongues is here, and here
He was convinced and satisfied, and when I checked with him the following morning, sure enough, he had someone pray for him for the baptism in the Holy Spirit and he had received tongues!
We must get beyond neutral to experience God's promises
So YAY. Getting beyond neutral to a love and passion for the gifts and blessings of God is what opens us up to receive those blessings.
I had already come to this conclusion when it came to certain of God’s promised provisions in my life, but I have never applied this truth to money. I know Jesus became poor so I could become rich (2 Cor. 8:9), and thus I had moved from the scorn of money to becoming “neutral” about money, and was just wondering if I needed to develop a positive passion for this promised gift. We always LOVE the GIVER of the gifts more than the gifts that He gives us, however He died on the Cross to give us 12 benefits, and I sure don't think Jesus was neutral when He died. He was passionate in His love for us, so I assume a passionate love back for each of these amazing gifts is the LEAST I can do.
Maybe what “magnetizes” us so we attract things, is “strong emotions, love, conviction, passion.” Maybe once we have this emotional content intact within us, we draw things toward us. Maybe that is why God appears to have never recommended neutrality. Hmm.
Journaling assignment
- Lord, do You want me to have a love for Your gift of financial abundance in my life?
- Lord, since emotions are byproducts of the pictures I gaze upon, what picture(s) do You want me to meditate upon that will inspire passionate emotion for this gift of wealth?
- Do You ever want me to be neutral?
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