Keep the Fire Alive

God does not like lukewarmness. In fact, He hates it. Jesus said to the church of Laodicea, “So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth” (Revelation 3:16 NKJV). The Lord would rather have us on fire or even cold than living in a miserable state of lukewarmness.

There’s no room for just doing the bare minimum. We want to give people hope for this life and the afterlife. King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, counseled, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 NKJV).

The apostle Paul wrote to the believers in Rome, “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” (Romans 12:10–11 NKJV).

“Fervent in spirit” can be translated “on fire” or “boiling over.” And how do you keep a fire alive? You put another log on it. You continue to feed the fire so it stays strong—and gets even stronger. In the same way, we keep the spiritual fire alive by feeding it. One way we do that is by hearing the Word of God.

Following His resurrection, Jesus appeared to two discouraged disciples on the Emmaus Road. After they had a long conversation with Him, they said, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32 NKJV).

Would others describe you as being on fire for Jesus Christ? If you’re on fire for Jesus, then you’ll want to serve God in some way and do something for His glory.