Running The Race To WinSample

At one point in your life, you may have had a gift you used to impact the kingdom of God that you feel like is no longer in operation. I believe God has given each of us passions that He longs for us to use for His purposes, but I also believe sometimes we can meander through life, slowly losing our passion for Him and for the work He has called us to do.

When I was a kid, I used to love building fires. My favorite part was when we drenched it in lighter fluid, lit a match, and watched the burst of flames erupt. Though lighter fluid made it easy to get the flames going, oftentimes the fire would die out within a few seconds simply because none of the wood had caught flame. We often achieved the appearance of a great fire in just a matter of moments, when in reality, the only thing burning was the lighter fluid.

As Christians, we can sometimes act like event junkies. We like to host or attend Christian events that inspire passion and cause the flames in our hearts to erupt. There is nothing wrong with this, but a problem occurs when we forget that these types of things act similar to lighter fluid. A few weeks after the flames have had time to die down, we wonder why we no longer feel the same fire for God.

When I first started building fires as a kid, my dad taught me one of the most important steps to creating a successful steady burn: you need to use kindling. The lighter fluid is great for ignition, but the kindling is essential if you want to keep that initial flame alive long enough to catch the big logs that will cause a steady burn. We need to take the small sticks of God’s Word each day and meditate on them in our hearts. We need to begin transforming our hearts into easily combustible material by spending time in God’s presence, praying, and seeking His face. If we want to become coals for the kingdom of God, we need more day-to-day kindling.

As you run the race of the Christian life, ask God to remind you of His love for you. When you fall in love with Jesus, the prayer, worship, and study of His Word will come naturally. Remember, God’s love for you is not based on your performance. Our efforts should not be based on duty, but instead on His intense, perfect love. Once we accept His love in our hearts, we will begin stacking kindling on the fire out of a simple desire to be closer to Him.

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