Do You Want a Spark or a Flame?

Are you just getting by, barely hanging on? Does it seem like life is tossing you back and forth like a ping-pong ball? Or perhaps it seems the enemy is constantly hanging around, discouraging you and lying in your ear, making you feel like you’re a big fat failure and you can’t do anything right.

My dear friends, keep going! Press on! Stand strong!

Does it seem like I’m yelling at you? I am! (But not in a bad way. Keep reading.)

When I was reading Scripture this morning, I found a note I’d written a long time ago, asking myself the question:

“Do you want a spark or a flame?”

I don’t know about you, but I want a flame. A big roaring flame! I want to set the world ablaze with all that God wants to do through me. I want to be bold. Obey. Stand strong. Press on. Reach and grab onto my heavenly Father with all that I’ve got and never let go.

And that’s what I want for YOU.  (See, that’s why I was “yelling.” 🙂 )

If you feel at odds with so many things in life right now, like you’re being squeezed, don’t let worldly worries suffocate you. Don’t let the enemy make you fearful or discourage you. Press in closer to God.

You see, a spark is nice. It can be the start of something powerful.

But a flame, well, the flame shines bright. The flame is God’s power working through you now. The flame refuses to back down because of the darkness. The flame does not fear the darkness but dispels it, disarming it.

The flame doesn’t whimper in the corner, fearing the darkness will overtake it or afraid of overstepping boundaries. The flame doesn’t pull back but pushes forward. The flame roars and is bold, swelling and growing because of the fresh wind of the Holy Spirit. The flame hushes only to listen to the voice of God and no other.

But you and I, we have to do our part. We have to be obedient. We have to seek God above all else. We have to fan the flame. We have to trust in the power, the direction of Almighty God, and not try to contain the flame He sets ablaze in our hearts out of fear of offending others or losing control.

When we give control of our lives over to God, surrendering it all to Him, that’s when the world will see Him in us. And that’s when He can use us powerfully.

“This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:6-7 NLT.)

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV.)

(Photo from Pexels.)

 

 

Focusing on God

Do you struggle with past failures? I do. And sometimes it can be really hard during quiet days because the enemy tries to sneak his lies into our thoughts:

You totally messed up.

You really hurt them.

You call yourself a Christian?

They never wanted you around anyway.

You don’t matter.

You’re replaceable.

They’re waiting for you to fail.

Suffocating? Good.

Feel that squeeze? Even better.

God is so disappointed in you.

Now wait just a minute. When you set your focus on following God instead of pleasing everyone else, God is NOT going to be disappointed in you.

So just relax. Whatever game the enemy is trying to play, put up your hand and say, “I’m out.” (Or you can whisper, “Jesus” or start singing and praising God and that old devil will flee!)

And you don’t have to follow the enemy when he tries to take you on his twisted ride down memory lane, searching for what you may or may not have done wrong.

Pray and ask God what you can do about it today. If He tells you, “Just keep your eyes on Me,” then you have your answer. If He tells you to make a call, pray, or forgive someone (that someone could be YOU!), then obey Him.

Always, in all things, obey God and trust that He has every right answer and every right step you will ever need to take. (Thank you, Lord!)

Just like a lovely blossom that grows from a cactus, there is beauty and surprising wonder in the battle for our souls when we focus on following God and pleasing Him and Him alone.

And there is always victory.

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.” (Isaiah 26:3-4 NIV.)

This is Between God and You

How do you react when you see someone standing near the freeway or on a street corner holding a sign?  You’ve seen them, haven’t you?  Some are hungry and will work for food.  Others are in need and have children.  What do you do?

Maybe you noticed the cigarettes or the cell phone in his hand and you think, I’m not giving him a dime!

Or maybe you remembered when you were going through a difficult time and someone reached out to you, so you stick your hand out the window with a little cash. It’s not much, you think. But at least it’s something.

Perhaps you drove past the man and his sign and hurried to a fast-food restaurant to order some sort of meal deal with a drink.  You returned to him and handed over the bag and soda, immediately humbled when he thanks you.

Let me ask you this:  Did you ask God what to do?  Did you pray for wisdom?  Or were you too busy making a judgment while hitting the gas to get away from the man and his sign because he made you uncomfortable?

God will tell you what to do if you ask Him.  He’ll give you a nudge.  He’ll whisper softly to your heart.  He may even give you specifics, to buy the expensive and REAL burger for the man instead of the chicken sandwich because God knows he is anemic and needs iron.  God may give you the very word, a spark of  hope the man needs.  He may even have you offer the eternal hope of salvation when you tell the man that Jesus Christ is not only your best friend but your Lord and Savior and maybe he’d like to get to know Him too.

Or God may tell you to keep driving but pray for the man. Perhaps it is for your own protection.  Perhaps the man is dishonest and is not really in need. Or maybe the man has an addiction and one more dollar will be enough for his “just one more time” that could end his life.

Maybe God is telling you to keep driving so the man behind you in the pickup truck will be able to stop and share his testimony.  Only God knows both of these men and their stories and how one can truly reach the other.

You may never know the reason why God tells you what to buy for the man in need, or what to say, or why you are to keep driving and pray for him. You don’t need to know the reason.  You just need to listen to God.

Don’t doubt. Don’t question.  And don’t listen to someone ridiculing you later, saying it was foolish and the man is just going to spend your money on drugs or beer, when God instructed you to give him cash.

You see, your part is to seek God and His wisdom and then obey. That is between God and you.  That’s your part.  What the man does with what you’ve given, what God has given him through you, that’s between God and him.  You don’t need to fret or wonder if you did the right thing.

If you obeyed God, you did the right thing.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5 NIV.)

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17 ESV.)

A Dangerous Christian

What would you think if you were on an airplane, enjoying the sights of the wispy clouds underneath the wings only to hear over the speaker that your pilot hopes you enjoy the flight but just wanted you to know he’s not certain how to land?  You see, he never learned how.

Or what if you’re in a waiting room while your spouse or parent is having heart surgery only to have a waiting room attendant approach you and ask for your patience because the doctor doesn’t really know how to perform the procedure?  It seems he’s never operated on anyone before.

Claiming to be someone like a surgeon or a pilot and not really being one is dangerous. You put others’ lives at risk.  Why would you do such a thing?  For your own glory or reputation or paycheck?  Sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it?  Pretending to be someone and putting yourself in that position and then shrugging it off like, “Well I can sort of do this job. Isn’t that good enough?”  Who would do such a dangerous thing?

And yet there are people who claim to be Christians but don’t know God’s Word, don’t know Jesus Christ as their Savior or maybe they know just enough to make them dangerous. They know of Christianity, but they pick out what they want and run with it, leaving the “uncomfortable” parts behind.

Hmmm. Maybe that’s why there are some who see “Christians” and don’t want anything to do with them.  Because they see the dangerous ones, the ones who lash out, not love.

Please God, help me, help us, to be Christ-like Christians who study your Word, who live and love like Your Son, Jesus Christ.

If Jesus Christ were here, He would love others even when they fail or if they make a wrong decision and have to turn around. He’d walk with them the whole time, never once letting them believe they’re not worth His time.  He’d love them in the middle of their best day ever, and He would hit the floor with them when they collapse during the worst day of their lives.

Jesus would pray for them constantly, asking the Father to guide them, and He would provide for them when they were in need. He would come along side of them and comfort them when they hurt.  He would empathize and cry with them because He understands their pain.  He would never make fun of, criticize, ridicule, compare, gossip, and lash out at as they try to get closer to the Father when their attempts fall short and they stumble.  Rather, He would lift them up, wipe the dirt and tears from their faces, kiss their scraped knees, grab hold of their hands, and whisper, “It’s okay.  I’ll help you.  Follow me.”

If only Jesus were here…

That’s just it. Jesus Christ IS here.  He’s in every believer through His Holy Spirit. But if we deny Him or walk halfway with Him just to carry the Christian label, our dangerous actions may be enough to cause others to stumble and look elsewhere for a hand to lift them up.

“If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him.  That is how we know we are living in him.  Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.”  (1John 2:4-6 NLT.)