Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
Revelation 2:4
Often, on cool fall nights, I light a campfire in the back corner of my yard where I have a fire pit. My boys love to sit there and watch the flames, roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and drink hot chocolate. I have plenty of wood, so I keep the fire stoked since my wife especially likes the heat. However, we start talking, joking around, and playing games, and the fire gets neglected. It is not until we start to get chilly that we notice the flames have died down and the fire has cooled off considerably. When the fire dies, it surely isn’t worth much. It’s not producing any heat or any light, and it certainly isn’t producing enough flame to cook with. Essentially, it is worthless to us other than as a gathering spot. At that point we have to make a decision: Should we stoke the fire back up, or should we call it a night and head back into the house? A fire with no flame is serving no purpose.
A Christian who has left his first love is
much like a fire that has lost its flame. He was once on fire for God, excited
about doing His work. As he got busy with life, however, he let the flames die
down. Where once he was useful for God, now he has become quite ineffective.
Where once the power of God was evident in his life, someone would have
difficulty distinguishing who it is that he now serves. He no longer has the
zeal with which he once poured his whole heart into the service of God. A
Christian with no fire and a lackadaisical love for God serves no purpose. He
is no longer winning souls, he no longer upholds the standards he once
embraced, and he has let go of his desire to please his Lord.
Are you a Christian who once burned hot for
God? You must, then, ask yourself the question: Will I rekindle the flames that
I have neglected, or will I let them die completely and no longer be fit for
the use of the Master? Too many people have chosen the latter because of ease
and convenience. If serving God whole-heartedly was easy, everyone would be
doing it. Sometimes it can be difficult to stay strong and “on-fire” in every
area of our Christian lives, but if we are to be used of God in a mighty way,
then it is something we definitely must attempt. There are too many other
Christians who have let their flames go out for us to give up now. The sad part
is that God is no longer using them. Determine to rekindle your flame today so
that you may be useful in the hands of God.
|
Themes:
|
Quote of the day: “The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on
fire for God.”
No comments:
Post a Comment