When I hear the word ignite, I think of fire. It is the beginning of the fire. If you google the word ignite, you will find terms like shake-up, come alive, incite, arouse, heat, inflame, wake up, catch fire, and on and on the descriptive words go. These are words that should describe our spiritual life. When we come to Christ the Holy Spirit comes to live within us. This new birth, this new beginning, brings us to a new life in Christ. We are ignited to live for Christ because of the power that is within. Our lives should feel a bit shaken up because all things are becoming new. Yet, in this newness, we truly come alive! This new life of repentance, forgiveness, and love should ignite us to wake up others. However, ignition is only the beginning.
II Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
When we want to ignite something, we must use the right materials if we intend to have a fire. Some products like gasoline or kerosine will ignite quickly. They will produce a huge flame, but they will soon burn out. The fire doesn’t last long enough to allow the wood to catch on fire. To build a fire that will give off heat and last for a while, you must use small pieces of wood laid on top of larger pieces with plenty of airflow between. These smaller pieces catch on fire quickly, but with proper airflow, they don’t burn out until they have become one big fire with their supporting pieces. Once the fire is going, you can enjoy the heat for a little while, but soon you will need to add more wood to keep it going. It is the same in our Christian walk, Once we are saved, we need to keep feeding the fire with God’s word and prayer. We need those larger supporting pieces, stronger Christians, to keep us going forward and burning bright.
His word is the igniter and the sustainer! Hebrews 4:12 speaks of the power of God’s word. It is sharper than a two-edged sword. A sword that is sharp on both sides, cuts with every movement. God’s word can quickly penetrate the heart and convict us of wrong thoughts and actions.
Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
We must determine we will obey God by seeking to ignite others. Many people we meet have never attended a church where the Bible is taught and preached. For them, we must work His word into conversations to allow them to hear God’s word. For instance, when speaking with a neighbor about her flowers, I can turn the conversation toward God. The beauty of her flowers speaks of creation and the ability God gives her to take care of them. Each time I speak to her, God allows me to speak about Him. Faith comes from hearing God’s word. However, I must know the word so that when those opportunities come, I am ready to insert them into the conversation. My life should ignite a desire for her to know God.
Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
If I am to ignite others, I must also hear the word of God to increase my faith. Each time I read or hear a message at church, I am gaining fuel to keep my fire going. Once a fire is ignited it must be continually fueled if it is to keep burning. The more fuel you provide the hotter the fire burns. In Leviticus 6:13, God instructed the priest to never let the fire on the altar go out. It was a symbol of never-ending worship that God required of His people.
Leviticus 6:13 “The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.”
Your fire may be strong and glowing but if not maintained it will become a flicker, barely visible to anyone. You begin to become cold and numb to the truths of God’s word. Fires burn low and finally out when there is not enough fuel. The most important supply of fuel for the Christian is the study of God’s word. We are not to just read so we can learn facts or check off the box, but we are to read and study to fuel our fire and grow spiritually.
A good fire also needs airflow to ignite and survive. Our airflow is prayer. It is our way of communicating with God. Through prayer, we can feel His presence, and the Holy Spirit can impress upon our hearts how to apply what we have studied in His word into practical daily living. We must abide in Him through prayer and study to keep the fire going. John tells us we cannot be fruitful, growing, and producing flames that ignite others if we don’t abide.
John 15:4-5 “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
Where is your flame? Is it down to a flicker because you’ve used service as a substitute for prayer and study? If so, your Christian service will become a chore instead of a blessing to serve. A flicker is the last sign of a flame. It moves back and forth until it dies. Have you ever said you are “burned out?” Think about it, you can only burn out when you don’t have proper fuel. When we approach our service with the thought that all we do is done only for Him, then we can never do too much. We will get tired, but we will not want to quit. We are to keep our flame strong so that we can ignite others and glorify the Father. So, pour on the fuel and ignite!
Colossians 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”
