| Saturday, April 26, 2008 |
| Why should the fire die? |
I've asked myself this question ever since we were listening to a song last summer in Colorado by the same title.It's been working on my head ever since then, but only now do I feel like it makes enough sense to share.
Everyone has those mountaintop experiences. However, I feel like that term slightly belittles what actually occurrs. Mountain tops are great. After a long journey pushing though the rugged terrain of everyday life and battling its ups and downs, you feel beaten and sore and tired. But once you reach that top where everything makes sense and all that hard work is in it's rightful place you gain a different perspective.
So we build a fire. Right on top of that mountain we build a fire. It burns in recognition of everything we hope to be because of what we've already been through. It symbolizes how we can work harder, and think deeper, and live better. It's almost a resentment. We're tired of living off our own strength and playing by everyone else's rules. We desire something more familiar. For a while in fact this kind of fire succeeds in what it's built for.To burn off and get rid of everything we dislike about ourselves so that something better can take the place of those unpleasant things. But where does all that fuel come from? Eventually all those resolutions and promises lose their ability to burn, and sometimes in hindsight they seem like fruitless ideas to begin with.
So what if our fire wasn't resolutions, but instead sacrifices? What if instead of building a flame out of all the things we've accumulated and worry about, and try to control, or cover up, we threw everything down as kindling, and started over. And then what if we continued to fuel it with not our own selfish ambition, pride or knowledge, but with the surpassing greatness of Christ? The power of His resurrection, knowledge that goes beyond understanding, the treasure of His inheritance? The light we cast and the heat we would radiate would do no more than glorify God: which is everything we're created to do.
That fire wouldn't die. In fact that fire has been around since the beginning of time. It's been calling us to hand over our kindling ever since we saw the first glint of life from our eyes and drew our first breath. On the mountaintop we're all reaching for lies a Cross for everyone to find.
What we feel after being spiritually renewed isn't meant to be short lived. It's meant to grow in our hearts as an ongoing flame constantly fueled by the elimination of sin fueled by the Strength and Grace of Jesus.
Indeed my friends, why should the fire die?
Missy. last remembered on 4/26/2008 11:31:00 PM
