Posted by: Anna When I was at ASAP a couple weeks ago (read more about it in the last post), we spent quite a bit of time around fires. In the mornings and evenings it was pretty chilly, so we often got to sit around a big fire during the message, or while we were singing. And every meal we cooked over a fire, and that took awhile. So all that said, it involved a lot of fires. And throughout the week, we talked about or I thought about a few different analogies between our Christian lives and fire. Some of them may seem pretty simplistic, but we all need to be reminded of simple things now and again, and you never know when something you've heard a hundred times will trigger a new realization. So here are five lessons from fire. It's a beacon in the darkness. Imagine something with me. It's the middle of the night. You're lost in the woods. You're cold, it's dark, you're frightened and unsure where to go or what to do. So you either hunker down and curl up in a ball, or you wander on. Let's say you were to suddenly spot a light, through the murky darkness. It's warm and orange- the glow of a fire. What do you think you're going to do? You're going to go to it. It provides warmth and safety and light and, since someone had to have started it, companionship. Can you see where I'm going with that? There's a lot of people in this world that are lost and wandering, don't you think? And those people generally have two ways to deal with it: give up and hunker down, hoping they can make it till morning; or wander on, with the possibility of finding their way out. As the light of Christ, we have the opportunity to light a fire that those lost in darkness can see and run to. We have the duty to light our torch and actively seek out those that have given up. That's why our actions as Christians are so important. Think about it. If we are mean, irritable, selfish, judgmental, greedy, or cold, will we give off the warm, welcoming glow that will draw the lost and wandering to us? No. We need to be loving, kind, hospitable, forgiving, and encouraging to do that. Be a fire for Christ in the darkness. Every element is equally important. I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of one body but many members, and that the "lesser" members are no less important. Fire actually demonstrates this as well. Think of all the necessary components for a fire. You need tinder, firewood, and a match or other means of starting it. And guess what? All are just as vital. The tinder may not seem that significant, but trust me- putting a match to a log is highly unlikely to work. In the same way, the Christians that are like the spark that starts a fire need tinder--Christians that can catch the idea and turn it into a flame--for it to go anywhere. And then tinder needs logs, a.k.a Christians that can sustain the flame. A single ember can't last long by itself. If you take a stick with a little ember at the end from a fire, what happens? It dies out within a few moments. Now you can make it last longer, by using certain materials that will keep the ember alive longer, say if you need to travel with it. But, the fact remains that once taken from the fire, an ember can only last so long. We as Christians need each other--need the entire fire, or the Church--in order to keep burning. We can go out on our own for awhile, especially if we go prepared. In the end, though, we need the encouragement, counsel, and "sharpening" of our brothers and sisters in Christ. And, we're also more effective together. What's more likely to act as a beacon to outsiders- a little ember, or a whole fire? And what's more likely to withstand the wind and rain- a little ember, or a whole fire? Even just a few glowing coals can be flared back into a flame. After awhile, if a constant supply of wood isn't given to it, a fire will die down to glowing coals, right? It's easiest to keep a steady flame if you just keep up the wood stock. But sometimes, the fire will die down. And when it does, you'd be surprised by how few embers it takes to bring it back with just a little coaxing and tinder. There have been times in history, there will be times in the future, there are and will be times in our individual lives; that the "fire" of our faith dies down. The Church fades into the background, either from apathy or fear or persecution. I won't list the times it's happened- I'm sure you can think of some. In fact, it could even be said that to some extent, the Church is that way today. Which is why it's very good to know that we can be brought back to life. If we have just a few, stubborn coals, we can go from seemingly dead to blazing with life. We are refined by fire. Let's take a step back from the analogy of us being a fire as Christians. Instead, pretend that we're gold, or silver, freshly mined from the rock. At that point, the beautiful mineral of gold isn't so beautiful. It's not shiny and the color of brilliant amber. And it's certainly not in the forms we usually see it in, such as jewelry. No. It's crusty and dirty. Though it's valuable, it's not very usable. It's not until after it's been refined that it becomes beautiful and usable. How is it refined? By fire. Being refined by God is rarely easy or fun. I mean being put through fire, in a figurative sense? You wouldn't exactly expect it to be enjoyable. The whole point is to break down, to soften and reshape. And that requires heat and pressure. In the same way, we became most beautiful, and most usable by God, when He refines us- even if that refinement is difficult. So be on fire for the Lord! "For our God is a consuming fire" -Hebrews 12:29
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