I’ve always loved fireplaces. Whenever our family moved, a
fireplace was always a factor in purchasing a home. We even had one custom
built when we built a house in Sleepy Hollow in the early 90’s. It was a corner
one in the living room. It was beautiful. Rebekah (my oldest daughter) and I
used to lie down by the fireplace and read Robert Frost poetry.
Now the house I’m living in doesn’t have a fireplace. And it
just doesn’t have that same cozy feel.
So one evening in early December, I’m sitting at home alone with
cinnamon wax scents wafting through the house, Goldie (my dog) at my feet (that
are covered in comfy Ugg slippers), low light, reading God’s Word and
instrumental Christmas music softly echoing in the background. Hey what can I
say…I’m a romantic who loves to set moods!
Suddenly I remembered a Fireplace App that I have on
my Roku device and set up a crackling stone fireplace. It’s beautiful in 38’
HD. And the crackling sounds are so real. But it’s not a real fire; rather it’s
a real recording of a fire. It doesn’t emanate warmth, it’s not dangerous, it’s
not consuming, it’s not hot. All of a sudden I felt a chill. What a metaphor
for life. It could be so dangerous to touch the fires of who we are (real fire)
and who we pretend to be (fake fire). It’s easy to put my hand up to the TV
screen and not get burned. But real fire burns, heats, sterilizes, cleanses,
hurts, comforts, consumes.
God is referred to as a consuming fire in the Old and New
Testaments.
“To the Israelites the
glory of the Lord looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain.” Exodus
24:17
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let
us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God
is a consuming fire.’" Hebrews 12:28-29
I want to be hot. Consumed. Warm. Clean. Dangerous.
It reminds me about a story that Brennan Manning wrote
concerning a faculty member at a university where he was preaching. She spoke
of how strong the fire was in her heart when she first became a Christian, she
said to Brennan, “At one point in my life
I had a faith so strong that it shaped the very fiber of each day. I was
conscious of God’s presence even in stressful situations. The fire of Christ
burned inside of me. Slowly, though, and almost imperceptibly, I stopped
sitting at the fireplace.” p. 20/Ruthless Trust.
Sometimes things don't make sense when the fire burns uncontrollably.
But that shouldn't change my response for how God requires me to react. Because
the real fire in life is all about grace, mercy, forgiveness, and unconditional
love.
The world needs to see Christians who are stripped bare,
consumed, on fire with the indwelling blaze of the Holy Spirit. Allow Him to
purge us for God’s glory, so that all we have is God. I really believe with all
my heart that today's evangelism is in the form of “burnt-out” authenticity and
vulnerability. We must let Him blow away the ash heap of our own burnt nature and
a life of being burned on so many fronts. Then, let Him take us from the ashen-fire
that lies in front of us and replace it with a crown of beauty. (Isaiah 61:3)
James 1:12 “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial
because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that
the Lord has promised to those who love him.”
There is something that frankly scares me. On Christmas morning I
will wake up alone. My youngest daughter will be sleeping at my oldest
daughter’s house on Christmas Eve. This will be the first Christmas in my life
I will wake up to an empty house. But the first thing I will do this Christmas
is sing happy birthday to Jesus and take time to sit by the Fire, and it won’t be on my TV.
This Christmas, come...sit by the Fire…and stay a while.
