Jennifer was raised in a Jewish home.  Judaism was not really a matter of faith, or even a ‘religion’ to them.  It was their heritage, their cultural identity.  She would attend Temple on High Holy Days, but otherwise lived her life as if there were no God.  I was raised in a Christian home.  I drew legalistic lines of what I thought was right and wrong.  I wouldn’t cross a line, but I would dance right up to it on many occasions.  I wound up living a life that was limited by my beliefs rather than freed by the grace of God.

One of those lines that I observed was that I could not marry an unbeliever, although I certainly dated my share.  Before Jennifer and I were married, I coaxed a weak profession of faith from her, checked it off my list, and we went on living with God in a small compartment of our lives.  We would go to church whenever it was convenient, as long as it wasn’t too nice outside and if we weren’t out too late the night before.         

Slowly, over time, the words we heard on Sunday mornings started to take hold on our lives.  We started finding time to get to church more regularly. One morning, Jennifer responded to an alter call and for the first time truly gave her life to Christ.  That day I realized just how half hearted I had been.  Although I wasn’t spending much time studying my bible at that point in my life, the words of Revelation 3:15-16 leapt into my mind:  “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either cold or hot!  So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I am going to spit you out of my mouth!” 

Everything changed for us in that day.  Old habits died.  Priorities changed.  We’re still growing and learning, but now we live a life that is hot for the Lord.