Keeping the Fire Going

So, you've become a Christian. 

Maybe you were brought to church by a friend, or maybe you attended a youth retreat. Maybe you've been going to church for years, and you've only just now understood the Gospel. Whatever the reasons or context, you've been brought into the church of Jesus Christ, and you are on fire with the Holy Spirit. 

What now? 

Maybe that's not you. Maybe you've been a Christian for years, and you've experienced a recent revitalization of faith. An answered prayer, a good book, or even simply hearing a powerful sermon has stirred up your well of faith, and you're filled with rejoicing and hope for the future.

What do you do next? 

It's a great feeling, to be full of the strength and power of God. It's like starting off for a hike on a beautiful day; you hear the birds chirping, and the cool breeze blowing in your face, revitalizing you. The sun shines on your back, and the path ahead is so easy to follow that all that's left for you to do is to enjoy the scenery. 

But then a cloud passes over the sun and casts a chilling shadow. A couple of minutes later, you feel a drop of rain on your baseball cap; you brush it off, convinced that the sun'll come out momentarily. But another drop falls, and another, and another. Thunder crashes. Amid the pouring rain, you see how long and tiresome the path ahead truly is, laden with mud, knobbly roots, and sharp stones ready to pierce through your Adidas hiking boots. The fire that used to fill you has burned down to just a couple of dully glowing coals in your soul; it's there, but the flames don't burn as brightly anymore, and you don't know how to get them going again. 

This is a part of the Christian life. It's a part of the path that everyone walks at some point or another; in my relatively short time as a Christian, I've experienced it enough to know that it's universal for believers. How can you keep the fire inside you from burning low? Is it even possible? Should we just give up, throwing our hands in the air and telling ourselves that there's no point in trying, since it's inevitable that we'll stop caring about God's word?

1 - Do not grow weary of doing good.

First of all, this isn't some issue that God ignored when He gave us His word. Paul wrote to the church in Galatia to "not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9). Paul, in his letters, addresses the very real needs of the churches he writes to. The Galatians must have struggled with this weariness the same that we do, and they were close to giving up. But Paul exhorts them, don't grow weary! In due season you will reap. The work that you do, no matter how fruitless it can seem sometimes, will make some kind of mark, if you keep pressing forward.

 

2 - Find wonder in the little things.

Often it's the sheer mundanity of everyday life that lulls us out of the excitement and wonder we felt when we were first converted. The fate of your life has been snatched from the grip of the most evil cosmic power in the universe, and you're being watched over by an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-loving God. If that wasn't enough, that same God is perfect—and though the wages of sin is death, he loves you so much that he made another way to atone for your sin, even though the cost was his own holy Son. It's a miracle! But, astonishing as the truth really is, the wonder never seems to last. The mundanity drowns it out. 

Think about Jesus's sacrifice, and wonder. But also look at the mundanity itself, and you'll find that it's not as dull as you probably think it is. The world you see, the simple interactions that make up your day-to-day life—those were all made by the person who saved you, and in the case of people, they're all made in his image. Every single human carries within them a shadow of their Maker, and learning to see people like that will rekindle your sense of wonder in the world. 

 

3 - Fire needs fuel.

But you can't do any of this alone. No matter how hard you fan the flames, they won't grow if there's nothing for them to burn. And in this case, the fuel is the revelation of God in the Bible. Read your Bible; pray; worship with your spiritual family. That'll keep you going when the going gets difficult, or boring. If you're a Christian, your Father has redeemed you for all time—not just when you feel like it.

And if you're reading this and aren't a believer, accept Christ, I urge you. There's nowhere else where true joy is found.