Cold

SAT., JAN. 19, 1985, 6:50 AM
FARM, STUDY

Your small part of the earth awaits a blast of cold air, and that shall be rather unpleasant. Still, it is a condition of My world, so what do I say about cold, on this morning of anticipation.

Cold is an extreme, and therefore thoughts about it are often extreme, and probably more negative than positive. If you were to attempt this Teaching in a cold room, as it would have been without the heat of the last several hours, it would be a very uncomfortable experience… one you would have difficulty finishing. You also know that if the room were hot you would have almost equal difficulty, with sweating a bothersome addition to this meditation.

So the extreme, cold, is a condition to modify when it is the condition of a living, working space. You want a refrigerator be to cold, but not too cold. A freezer functions best when it is quite cold. So cold has limited value, and you expected My meditation to emphasize that.

When applied to the emotions the term “cold” is a mostly negative one. To say, “He responds in a cold way” is to suggest a person who is uncaring or simply unable to respond in more valued, “warm” ways. To be cold is to exhibit a lack of warmth. The cold person cannot show love, and this is a great disability. Though it is also undesirable to be hot emotionally (too willing to express violent, strong emotions), the description of most merit is “warm”, which is definitely away from cold.

So… how does “cold” relate to spirit? The terms are seldom used together. “She is a person of cold spirit” is not a description which has a clear meaning from frequent, consistent use. The implication, as you hear it, is one of smallness, weakness, and inactivity… rather than one of preservation, which is a main value of cold. You suspect that most Christians would not be flattered by being called a person of cold spirit. Yes, it would be a good idea to refer to your concordance and see how and how often cold is used in the Scriptures… but not until you finish this writing experience.

You are waiting for My comments on an obvious Scriptural reference… the one in Revelations which says, “I would that you were cold or hot… the lukewarm I spew out of My mouth.” This strongly suggests that I prefer My servants to be hot, avid, and excited, or virtually non-functional. And that doesn’t sound like the Spirit who teaches you regularly, now does it? I have told you (and I tell you again) that I do value some servants/disciples who are hot and “on-fire” with zeal for Me and My ways. But I do not desire that all should be this way. I can use cold in its best sense and say that I also value some who do not relate well, but who coldly preserve or translate My stories so that they remain true, when the hot ones might distort them out of zeal. Through the ages some monks have performed this “cold service.”

So… in apparent contrast to that Revelations passage, I also value those who have some heat, but not too much… even lukewarm ones. I really do not spew any souls, who come to Me, out of My mouth. I can use a variety of temperaments and even spiritual commitments in this Body of Mine. But, it is true… those who are cold are generally of the least help.