“Why am I not on fire for the Lord?” This
cry of the heart makes room for introspection and spiritual growth. This is a
cry that longs for more of God. But it is better to ask this question, than not
realizing that we are to be on fire to serve the Lord.
Although we question our ineffectiveness
in God’s kingdom, we should realize that by virtue of our belief, we are safe
and secure in God’s presence, and that none can snatch us from HIS hand. We should
plead with God to strengthen us, for spiritual growth is a process, not a
onetime experience. This is a recap of the previous blog.
We suffer from comparisons! One reason
we question our ineffectiveness, is due to the magnificent testimonies we hear
of our brothers and sisters in Christ. These could be about experiencing God’s
power through deliverance, healing, or other material blessings. Another reason
is that we see others actively working in HIS vineyard, and our lives only seem
mundane in comparison. Some of us may lead hectic lives where we would not have
the time to serve God and HIS people through various ministries in church. This
is fairly normal! However, it is wiser to introspect instead of succumbing to
comparisons.
There are two sides to “being on fire
for the Lord.”Consider the words of Chuck Colson and Nancy Pearcey, “Gordon Allport, the great psychologist of
religion, drew a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic religion.
Extrinsically religious people use religion for external purposes, like the
politician who attends church to gain respectability or the person who prays
for purely material benefits. But intrinsically religious people serve God
without ulterior motive: They pray in order to commune with HIM and understand
HIS truth; they give without any utilitarian calculation.” 1
The Sermon on the Mount magnifies the
heart of a man into a greater perspective in his relationship with God. Man
cannot please God externally. Man’s external actions are a result of his heart’s
disposition (Luke 6: 45b). Although man’s external actions are an outpouring of
his internal being, some could fake an external without a truthful heart.
So there ought to be an intrinsic and an
extrinsic fire. Intrinsic fire is to be on fire for the Lord from within our
hearts. We are on fire when we possess: a deeper fellowship with God and a greater
joy in intrinsic worship (not only inside the church, but significantly,
outside the church). Extrinsic fire is in serving God and HIS people through
the effective use of our spiritual gifts. (You could refer to my previous blog "Miraculously Blinded Church" for the list of spiritual gifts.) It is immaterial if one serves God from the
forefront or from the background. Conventionally, extrinsic fire would manifest
through:
·
Public
prayers or attending prayer meetings.
·
Preaching
/ teaching biblical truths or attending bible studies.
·
Serving
the underprivileged.
·
Defending
our faith.
·
Use
of our spiritual gifts.
However, those with deep intrinsic fire
need not necessarily manifest an abundance of an extrinsic fire due to the
complexities of their life. We need not be concerned about those whose difficult
life situations deny them the privilege of serving in God’s kingdom through the
church ministries, especially when their intrinsic love for God is stable and
growing. There will come a time in their life when they can serve God through
the local church.
In my opinion, intrinsic fire is more
foundational to a successful Christian life than the extrinsic. If love for God,
in our heart, decreases, then our separation from HIM increases. This situation should be overcome through
prayer (and fasting) – pleading for God’s power to strengthen us to draw closer
to HIM.
Conventionally, we are aware that to be
on fire for the Lord is to possess:
·
…an
immense desire for HIM (Psalm 73:25).
·
…an
enormous love to know more of God through the Bible (Deuteronomy 6: 5-9).
·
…a
sacrificial heart to obey the Lord and HIS commands (Romans 6: 16-18).
·
… a
growing and an unshakeable faith and hope in HIM despite life’s situations (Romans
15: 13; Ephesians 6: 16 - ESV)
·
…a
fullness of Joy (Psalm 16:11).This is not a constant joy for there will be
times of pain and other responsibilities in this fallen world.
·
…a
loving responsibility for our fellow brothers and sisters (Mark 12: 31).
In other words, to be on fire for the
Lord is to live a life of constant worship of the living God. There could be
ups (joy, without problems in life) and downs (pain) in one’s spiritual life,
but the glorious truth is that we can win spiritual victories by the power of
our Lord. Thus although the ‘low’ could be a momentary constant, that “low” will
be perceived a ‘high,’ by the grace and power of our Lord, when we seek HIM
with all our heart (cf. 1 Peter 1:6).
I submit an unconventional conclusion
without corroding the conventional understanding. Looking into the church of
Jesus Christ, we will observe Christians professing their greatness in the
Lord. They are those who verbalize and vocalize their spiritual achievements
(e.g. “25 people were baptized yesterday by me,” “I preached an anointed sermon,”
“the prayer meeting I was a part of was so anointed” etc.). I do not think an
anointed sermon, a powerful prayer, or an active service to the
underprivileged, are sole manifestations of being on fire for the Lord.
Consider the gospels where the Lord
emphasizes on the fruit the disciples ought to bear (Matthew 7:15-23; Luke 6:
43, 44). Let the passage on love also be in the backdrop of our minds (1
Corinthians 12: 31b-13). The “beatitudes” (Matthew 5: 3-12) and the “fruit of
the Spirit” (Galatians 5: 22-23) are the foundations to the existential
excellence of a Christian life. This is where I find the essence of being on
fire for the Lord. We are on fire for the Lord if we adhere to the commentary of
these sections that is found below:
“For
by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more
highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in
accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
For
just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all
have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each
member belongs to all the others.
We
have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift
is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;
if
it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;
if
it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give
generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it
cheerfully.
Love
must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
Be
devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Never
be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
Be
joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Share
with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless
those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice
with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Live
in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with
people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do
not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of
everyone.
If
it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Do
not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is
written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.
On
the contrary:
“If
your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to
drink.
In
doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do
not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12: 3-21, NIV).
Amen.
References:
1 Charles Colson and Nancy Pearcey, How
Now Shall We Live? p314.
