James 1:22 (NLT)
But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
“Lukewarm people are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers.” (pages 70-71)
Over the last 30 years, millions of Americans (and people around the world) have been inspired by the film Rocky. There is something about the character which resonates with us all. His rough upbringing. His desire to make the most of life. His determination to never give up no matter what life throws at you. His response to adversity by withstanding its punishment then fighting back. His feelings of inferiority and mid-life crisis. His commitment to being in peak physical condition. His humble heart even before GOD. Whatever it is, we love it.
What I've always found perplexing though, is that the vast majority of people I know who either love the film, or been inspired by it, don’t live out its messages. Sure, we sit on the couch and dream of doing such noble things like living life to the fullest or getting in shape. But when we finally leave the couch, we’re more likely to hit the fridge rather than the exercise equipment, the TV remote rather than our knees in prayer. Rocky was my favorite movie for years before I actually adopted many of its mottos.
As I read this portion of the Lukewarm profiles, my mind went to Rocky. Because that’s what many of us believers do. We are moved and inspired by stories of people who completely sell out to the cause of Christ, overcome their obstacles, and glorify GOD. However, we think of them like we do Rocky Balboa. That that is their calling. That is them, not us. So we cheer them on from the sidelines or from our couch and don’t act on what they’re encouraging us to do- to walk closer to GOD and serve others in whatever way we can. We are all “Rockys” for the cause of Christ. We must get off our butt, dive into our spiritual training, withstand the punches of the enemy, and with the help and hope of the Holy Spirit fight the good fight until the final bell sounds. Then the victory party!
So let us pray what Rocky shouted at the end of Rocky IV: “If I can change…and you can change…everybody can change!”
Author’s Note: for more on this topic, read pages 70-71 of Crazy Love by Francis Chan and Danae Yankoski
