Let the Home Fires Burn

Heart Grown Cold Courtesy Google Images

They were inseparable. There was nothing they could do that would scare them away. "Love is blind," everyone said. But they knew better.

Marriage, children, jobs, sickness, financial struggle, triumphs, graduations ... life. Then came the day they looked across the table and wondered who that person staring back really was. 

Sound familiar?

Maybe not. 

But it is a frequent enough phenomenon that even Scripture addresses this in our relationship with the Lord. 

To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of Him who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.

"I know your works, your toil and our patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God," (Revelation 2:1-7 ESV).

I have heard it said that it is normal to have passion burn for the Lord, but it's not sustainable. I have kicked against this as long as I can remember. But on some level, I can understand the sentiment.

The busyness of life beckons, and we run. Whether it's career, family, or ministry, there's always something vying for our attention. It seems to me that we have the option. It's part of our free will.

Slow Fade (Casting Crowns) Courtesy Google Images

There's a song, Slow Fade, that takes its listener down the road of how insidious the death of any relationship happens. This is true of marriage, friendship, and also of our relationship with God. We begin so in love. Nothing will ever separate us. But over time, as we allow things to get between us, we compromise. Each compromise opens the door for another until one day, we are walking away from the one we promised our life to.

Is there anyone familiar to us that we sigh, and think, "They used to be so on fire for God ..." 

It is likely they have experienced disappointment, discouragement, felt they had no one to talk to, and eventually fell into the net waiting, tied up with lies that said things like:

• "God isn't listening."
• "You must have disappointed Him for His back to turn on you."
• "If only you had believed better ..."
•  "You're not fixable."

How often do we go around the mountain of hope and find ourselves saying and doing the things we tried to escape?

I remember a well-meaning church leader telling me their understanding of predestination. It didn't matter how badly I wanted Christ as my Lord. If He hadn't chosen me, I wouldn't be accepted. The hopelessness that dogged my footsteps for several years after that was exhausting.

So let's dispel these lies and breathe fresh hope into our lungs.

Paul struggled. Yes. The man who wrote 2/3 of the New Testament, struggled. His words:

 "Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now, if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me," (Romans 7:13-20 ESV).

His struggle wasn't enough to cause him to give up. Instead, in his letter to Timothy, he exhorted everyone who would follow Christ, "But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hole of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses," (1 Timothy 6:11-12 ESV).

And later, Jude addressed the church, "Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints," (Jude 1:3 ESV).

As we consider the Scripture, we must ask the Lord, "Is there anything in me that holds You at a distance?" It could be unforgiveness, whether it's something we did and can't let go of, or someone else. Either way, we block God's work in our lives when we withhold forgiveness. In a nutshell, unforgiveness is a form of pride. It's in essence saying we know better than God about any given sin and have judged whether it's forgivable. And we are told in Scripture that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).

Fallow Ground Courtesy Google Images

Jesus was very clear about this in Matthew 5 and 6.

Contending for the faith is no easy task. It is not passive. In fact, Hosea 10:12 tells us, "So for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the LORD, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you."

Would you say that there are no conflicts? There is nothing sour in your soul towards the Lord or others? Maybe you just feel a numbness, or a distance and don't know why. You remember the days when you were excited to serve and be in His presence. But now?

Oh, it's not that you don't love Him. You do. The demands of life, or the fatigue that accompanies life's busyness has weighed you down.

Whatever the situation, it's been a while since your Bible has been opened or since that place of prayer has seen your shadow. Neglect of any relationship depletes it of life. Even plants respond to our conversation and affection.

There is nothing in life that can live without tender care and attention, including our relationship with God. 

It's going to take work, sweat, and tears. We may get splinters, calloused knees, and hands. Our feet might ache. Our back may feel like it's going to break--it won't.

Jesus told the church at Ephesus, in Revelation 2:1-7, to go back to the first things they did. I heard someone say one of the rules for their marriage, to keep it healthy, was to go back and ask, "What was it that I liked about you?"

Remember those honeymoon days?

What did you do? Why did you decide to follow Jesus? Stir that up. Let yourself remember the beauty of those moments. And breathe again. That's Holy Spirit, refreshing your soul.

Until next time, fan into flame the embers of your soul.

💜 Karlene J 💜

Coming soon: Letters to the Church: Galatians