Fire Power

Are you ready to help clean out some rabbit cages? See, this one is covered with fur and sticky droppings. I wouldn’t want to live in a place like that, would you? Yuck! you say. I don’t like to get dirty!

That’s why I’m using a propane torch. I tried to clean them with a brush and water one time—what a mess! The fur stuck everywhere and I couldn’t scrub them clean. But watch what happens when I turn on the torch. Whoosh! It bursts into flame. Smoke rises as I move the torch back and forth over the cage. The fur looks like it is melting! you say. Now let’s clean off the dirty parts. Hold the torch underneath while I use this scraper. Scritch, scratch, scritch—see, the droppings fall right off. Wow, this torch is really great! you say. I didn’t know fire was so useful.

Fire is useful and powerful—not something to play with. Do you know that God’s Spirit is like fire? The Bible tells us that Jesus came to baptize us with fire and burn up all the chaff in our lives (Luke 3:16-17). Chaff is sort of like the fur in the rabbit cage. What happens when fire burns it? It disappears, you say. And that’s how God deals with sin and wrong things. We can’t change our hearts by trying to be good, just like I couldn’t scrub the cage clean. We need to let God’s Spirit come with His torch and burn up the wrong things in our lives, just like we burned the rabbit cage. Then God can fill you up with good things!

Now this cage is clean, but do you think it will stay that way? No—the rabbit will get it dirty again. That’s right. But the fire of God’s Spirit is able to do more than clean us up. The Bible says that whoever abides (stays) in God will not sin (1 John 3:4). That means nothing evil can stick to you if God’s fire is burning inside. You will have power to always win against the devil’s attacks! Here is an example of how it works. Maybe it seems like selfish “get out of my way” fuzz often sticks to you. But if you ask God’s Spirit to fill your heart, He will warn you when you start to feel upset: “Selfish attack!” Quickly give those selfish feelings to God and He will burn them up. Maybe the fire feels hot because you have to give up things that seem important to you, but it is always worth it. If you humble yourself, God will make your life shine with His love and kindness instead of that selfish fuzz!

Do you want to be useful to God? Ask His Spirit to clean you and fill you up. Instead of wanting to have your own way, you will want God’s way. Instead of worry or anger controlling you, you will let the peace of God rule in your heart. The Spirit of God fills us with goodness, because we are filled up with Him!