fire

Raegan and I bought a car on Tuesday to replace the Pontiac (RIP). We ended up getting a ’98 Honda Accord. I’ll have to get Raegan to take some pictures and post them up here.
I’m thinking about a song that I haven’t thought about in a long time. The words that are repeating in my head are this:

Did you realize that inside of you there is a fire? Did you ever try to let it burn?

It’s a Third Day song, Consuming Fire. I feel like I’ve had this fire inside me for a while now, but I haven’t been letting it burn. You know what fire does, right? It consumes. It will burn away all those areas of my heart that are not pure. This is exciting, and somewhat scary. My habits and attitudes are comfortable, or so I told myself. But this is a lie.
Just a week or so ago an old temptation reared its head. I was resigned to giving in to it. I was pretty much sitting there saying, “well, it’s inevitable that I’ll fall into this trap. I’ve fallen for it many times before. Get ready for me to ask forgiveness, Lord.” But then I said, “hey! wait a second… If God delivered me, and I believe this, then I shouldn’t fall for this. So am I going to put my confidence in God, or what?” And suddenly the desire to sin was gone. I was ecstatic. I wrote code for about 3 hours in celebration. (had to make a service to send emails to people).
My point is that my habits were most assuredly not comfortable. For the minute or so that I was resigned to sin I was miserable! Feelings of guilt began to overwhelm me, as I knew I was letting Him down. As a child of righteousness, sin is revealed for what it is – death. I have placed before you death and life, both blessings and a curse. Therefore choose life! I chose life, and it was wonderful.

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Letting the fire burn away all the attitudes and habits in your heart is a good thing. Don’t be deceived – these things are not comfortable. They bring guilt, death, separation from God. They are weights and chains, designed to ensnare or trap us. We are slaves to righteousness, and as such we need to choose life. As the fire of God burns away all the impurities, we become more like Christ. This is our highest calling.