Would You Extinguish Your Flame?

Don't put out the fire!
 

 

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire."  (I. Thess. 5:19)

 

As a child, my Dad would often grill steak for us.  At one point, all he had was a small piece of grate-like metal with short legs attached.  As a welder, I believe it was something he fashioned himself. With it, he could simply place charcoal on the ground underneath,  and grill steak anywhere we camped or even at home. 

One particular Sunday I recall, he grilled steaks for lunch.  Afterward, we decided to take a family "Sunday afternoon drive."  So he went outside, poured water on the charcoal, dug a trench around it and filled it with water.  After enjoying a drive through many miles of sand hills, local ponds, and less traveled roads, we returned home.  Imagine our horror as we passed a field attached to our home and it was ablaze with fire!

We quickly rushed home to discover that somehow the fire had remained kindled, and in fact, jumped over a trench of water to set scores of acres on  fire.  Miraculously, there was a path about a foot wide, all around our home, that never caught on fire.   But fields, pastures, and untamed woods were on fire as far as the eye could see!

I remember as  a child trying to help beat out the fire with burlap sacks. We dumped buckets of water.  We sprayed with hoses, all to the end of trying to avoid catching anyone's home on fire.  At one point, I was stranded in the middle of a patch of un-kindled land, with fire all around me.

Eventually the volunteer fire department arrived, and the flames were finally contained. Thankfully, no lives  or homes were lost that day.

It is amazing, that despite my Dad's efforts to quench the fire, that some remained active and jumped to find dry ground. 

In the Old Testament, worshipers of God, would make burned offerings to the Lord for many reasons.  Fire was essential to their worship.  In the New Testament, we the believers, are to offer ourselves as a sacrifice or instrument of worship.  Not literally, but figuratively.  We should  make ourselves  available  for the Holy Spirit, the Fire of God, to kindle upon us. We are to be "on fire" for the Lord. We are to be zealous.  Spirit-filled.  Passionate.  Powerful.  Anointed.

The best fires occur on nice, dry, wood.  Once it is doused with water, you get more smoke than fire.  How many times do we, as children of God, throw water on the fire of God?  Every time we choose not to obey, we quench the fire.  Every time we resist the leading of the Holy Spirit, we put out the flame.  Every time we are too distracted to hear His voice, we quench that fire.

"Do not put out the Spirit's fire" sounds to me more like an imperative, or command, than a suggestion!  We are NOT  to do it!  Are there things, habits, people, or ideas in your live that snuff out the flame of God?  Repent!  Turn back! 

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship."  (Romans 12:1)

True and proper worship! King James version calls it "your reasonable service."    It is true.  Proper.  And reasonable to expect that Christians will make  themselves a living sacrifice on which the fire of God can kindle and fan a flame... bright enough to light up our homes, communities and world for Jesus!  What is putting your fire out?

Dear Lord, forgive me for allowing other things to snuff out Your fire in my life.  Help me to be a sacrifice ready for the fire of the Holy Spirit to kindle upon.  In Jesus' Name. Amen.