Tending the Fire

Our youth group at church just spent a weekend at winter camp with evangelist Jayme Montera. They came back on fire. They were blazing. I was so glad to see their enthusiasm. Their zeal was contagious. But the one thing I am concerned about is the nature of fire.

The nature of fire is very interesting. It can be burning hot, with flames leaping high in the air one minute, but once the fuel is consumed, the fire dies down and will eventually go out unless more fuel is added to it. If one wants to keep a fire, the fire must be tended. A group of scouts on a camp out is always eager to build a fire to keep warm and cook by. The excitement of the day's activities and the pleasure of fellowship can be quickly lost, however, if nobody takes the time to tend the fire during the night. There's few things worse than to wake up on a cold, damp morning to a fire that's gone out.

What am I trying to say? The fire is important but the tending of the fire is more important once the fire is burning. Prayer, bible study, church attendance are readily available fuel sources for the fire. But they have to be applied. It's so much easier to keep an existing fire alive than to start a new one. It takes dedication to get the fuel and apply it to the fire over time. Consistency is the key. Burn, baby, burn.