Something I've Noticed

In the family room of my in-laws home there is a wood burning stove. Every house my father-in-law has lived in, there has been a wood burning stove. When we would come and visit, during the colder months, the stove would be loaded with wood and burning hot. I never paid much attention to it and how it worked.

Since we moved to Springfield in January, I have had to learn how to "operate" the wood burning stove. On the stove are two adjustments for air intake and there is an electric fan/blower to move the heat out of the stove. Depending on the air intake settings, the fire will either have great flame or no flame but greater heat. Sometimes the fire seems to be out altoghter but something I've noticed is that when I open the door to the stove and the sudden rush of air makes the embers really come alive and all of sudden the flames are large and consuming the wood more rapidly.

Very simply, we need the Spirit of God in order to burn hot for His glory and honor. If we, through sin and disobedience, limit the influence of the Spirit of God in our lives, we will not be the followers of Christ God intends. The longer we don't let the air in, i.e. the Spirit of God, we will become cold and useless. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." (emphasis added)

We need to allow the Spirit of God to "stir us up" and "rekindle" the fire of serving God with the giftedness we have as followers of Christ. This is a daily discipline to add new fuel (wood) to our lives. We must be completely dependent upon God to work and do what it is He does. We must fall in love with Jesus and "remember our first love" and not grow cold but burn hot with fire for God.

Prayer, Bible reading, meditating on the Word of God, serving, loving, demonstrating the power of God in your life are important disciplines we need to keep the fire burning.