Smoldering fire (luke 19)

Do you feel like your fire has gone out?

I am currently attending a wild at heart boot camp with John Eldredge and his team. It has been good so far and it seems each meeting although I have heard or read most of this stuff before there is something that hooks into me and makes me think and ask the questions of my life God has for me to ask.

We are having some time in silence right now and asking the questions how do we see ourselves and how do others see us. I have already spent my time of reflection on these questions and have come to an interesting word picture. I see my self as a smoldering fire. On the outside I appear as a dead heap of ashes, but under the surface there are still coals smoldering. Most of the time it looks as though I have gone out. This comes from multiple reasons, stress, depression, struggle with addictions, isolation. But every once in a while there is a flame up. Every once in a while the passion burns hot again. I will flame up in my study of the word of God and produce a new sermon or write a new blog. I will flame up and actually exercise consistently for a while. I will flame up and romance my wife. I will flame up and actively play with my daughter. Then I seem to go underground again the light in my eyes turns to ashes again.

I was reading Luke chap 19 this morning. I am struck by the fire burning in Jesus. There are times when he is fully ablaze like when he is clearing the temple for example. I think of the fantastic for movie with the human torch, flame on these guys are out of here. But even in the more subtle times. When Jesus is telling a parable of the minus there is a flame in his eyes. The figure in the analogy who represents Christ, the one who goes away to get authority for his rule comes back and has those who opposed him put to death in from of him. Jesus is not a particularly safe person for those who oppose the kingdom of God. He sends them out of the temple burning brightly, he tells them they will be put to death with fire in his eyes, and he offends them by going to the home of a sinner tax collector.

I pray today as you and I draw nearer the heart of God, as we become more like Christ the ashen times will become less and less and while I may not always be burning full on you will see the smolder in my eyes. The passion of the heart of God.

May this be your journey as well, may God rekindle your life today.