As I am wrestling making the kindling, building the fire, blowing on the fire (rinse and repeat) I notice that I have all the components that I need. O2, wood, and fire starter. The only problem? Barbie never had to build a fire.
How many times have you seen something done, only to try and do it yourself- and it becomes an instant failure. For me, gingerbread houses come to mind- quilts, souffles, eggs, hash browns- lots of art projects. Here however, we will freeze if we don't get warmth. (OK, we won't really freeze- but we will be very, very uncomfortable)
So how do you start in any endeavour that you have seen someone else do before? Start out by mimicking what we see, right? Like- "OK, 'so and so' put the wood like this- and the paper looked like that, and he light it right here." Having exhausted all recollection brain power- what you expect next is a grand "Whoosh" of fire!
No flames, no spark, nada.
What next then? When you have done everything someone else has done, and it still doesn't turn out right? Take a minute to chill, that's what. Just sit and wait on God to tell you what to do next, after all hearing from Him is always better than copying someone else, anyway.
So here I am freezing- on my butt- in front of the vacant womb of a fireplace, thinking "I wonder if I can be my kids Superhero, in starting this fire." Then I thought, "Can I be my kids Superhero in life?"
Can I be my kids Superhero?
Why not? I have all the components- God, prayer, The Word. The three things needed to be a success:
#1 God- The God of Israel, creator of the entire Universe. When Christ died we became able to enter into The Holiest of Hollies.
#2 prayer- The ability to speak directly to God, and seek His wisdom.
#3 The Word- "The Bible", the document account and living Word of God. When you stop to see all the resources we have available, you begin to wonder-
Why isn't every 'Christian' a Superhero?
Well, just because I had everything that I needed to build a fire- didn't mean that I could get it lit! Just because you have God, prayer, and a Bible doesn't mean your going to get the ability to see results! There is one last component that both my fire and my life need to get started- have you guessed it yet? Heart.
It takes heart. The vacant fireplace needed me to wait on God, and seek his face with an open heart- a heart ready to receive direction on exactly where to put the paper, how to stack the wood, where to light the flames. In order to be our kids Superhero's we need to open our hearts to God, and allow Him to direct our prayer life, allow Him to direct us in His Word, and of course without an open heart towards God (us having received Him as our father, putting Him in His rightful place above all others) He can't do anything. No direction- no fire -nada.
Romans 8:5-10"Those who think that they can do it on their own end up obsessed with measuring their own moral muscle but never go around to exercising it in real life. Those who trust God's action in them find that God's Spirit is in them-living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored. But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him." (TMV*)
Once you have opened your heart, and are fully submitted to God and His direction- you will find that you do have everything you need to start that fire. Your heart and ability to receive from God, your love for Him- and His love for you- will guide your steps EVERY STEP of the way, and you will become a Superhero, not just to yourself- but to your kids and everyone around you. With God's Spirit of life in you- you are breathing and living (experiencing) God! You will have an endless flame, and we all know that with Christ and his salvation- we will have an eternal life as well- sounds pretty 'Super' to me!
So how's your heart? Are you cold and frozen toward God? Have things continually come against you? Have you allow failed attempts at trying to do things 'just like everyone else' block you from hearing from God? Have you followed others so closely that you aren't sure when their ideas became your own/vice versa? Time to STOP and chill. Return your heart towards God and He will tell you EXACTLY what to do next. Open your heart towards God, repent from leaving Him and following others. Put Him back in command- you will begin hearing the Word of God-from God and He will enlighten your path.
It's not cold in here anymore. Jeffrey is feeding the baby some toast. Joseph is shining lights at people. Madeline is getting dressed for church. We are warm and toasty, and the fire is blazing. The fire that God built. (After I quit trying to do it myself, I asked God for guidance, and it lit up like a Christmas tree)
Now all I have to do is keep throwing new wood on the fire- and it will go forever, and ever, and ever. You get the point. I guess that the coals- they're kinda like our heart, huh?
* The message version bible: biblegateway.com
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