Tending the Fire!

I’ve heard the expressions before: “Tend the fire” and “Stoke the fire.” But aside from an annual campfire up in the mountains, I never really had a reason to tend or stoke a fire much.  That was until now.  In recent weeks, I find myself much more preoccupied with tending a fire than I have ever been before. 

As some of you may have seen on Facebook, the home we purchased this past year came with a wood-burning stove in the family room.  It’s especially great on a cold night to get the stove going and feel the warmth coming from it. In fact, sometimes it can get the room as warm as 89 degrees—at which time we need to crack some windows open so that we don’t shrivel up in prunes!  On the other hand, if one doesn’t keep an eye on the fire and periodically stoke it, it will go out sooner than we may want it to.  I have found that it is important to tend to the fire in order to keep it burning strong and long. 

In the same way, there are many things in our lives that need to be tended to; if not they just may cool down and die out.  I think of my relationship with my wife, children, and friends. How easily those relationships die without some tending!  Then there are the disciplines of my life that need tending: my diet, exercise, devotional life, other personal disciplines that help me stay sharp, focused, and growing.  Of course, there is my relationship with God that needs to be tended; unless, I am persistent in my relationship with him it just may cool down and eventually die. 

Finally, I think about the way in which I need to tend to my heart.  Unless I take proper care of my inner life and stoke its fires now and then, my heart, like yours, may end up in a place I never intended: cold, hard, bitter, angry, cynical, depressed, disconnected from God and disconnected from others.  Unless I periodically (and even regularly) stoke the fires of my heart, I just may end up with a heart that is no longer warm and filled with life. 

The Bible speaks to us about tending to our hearts:  “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”  (Proverbs 4:23 – NIV) “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 – NIV)  “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15 – NIV)

How’s your heart doing today? Is it filled with the life of God and a love for others? Is it filled with faith, hope, and love? Is it a heart of devotion and compassion?   Maybe today each of us needs to stoke the fires of our hearts just a little bit in order to see them flame up with all that God wants to fill them. 

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart….” (Deuteronomy 6:5 – NIV)

Have a great day!

Pastor Tim Harris