Keeping the Fire Burning (Part 1): Surrounded by Faithful Witnesses

I’ll never forget March 1993. We’d gone through a fairly mild winter in northwest Georgia, and spring was on the way. Kim had mentioned to me, “Hey, they’re saying it might snow, and we’re out of firewood. Why don’t you get some so we don’t freeze?” I said, “Look, it’s March, which is way too late for snow in Georgia. Besides, if the weather folks say it’ll snow, it won’t.” It did. And we froze. I’d never heard the term “thundersnow” before. Throughout the Blizzard of ’93, my empty fireplace was a constant reminder of what could have been.

Have you ever had times in your walk with God when things seem a little cold? You know that, at times, you’ve burned with passion for him, your love for him was red hot. But at other times, the relationship has lost its heat. At one time, you were on fire for the Lord, but now the fire is dying. Just as the cold crept into our home during the storm, sometimes cold can get into our spiritual lives, and we wonder what we might have done differently to stay warm.

There are lots of things that can put out the fire. Difficult circumstances, the busyness of life, laziness in our walk with God, sin, these can all be spiritual fire extinguishers. So, when we find ourselves in a spiritual blizzard with an empty fireplace, what can we do next?

When it feels like your relationship with God has grown a little cold, when you feel stuck in your spiritual life, how can you get the fire back? Maybe your fire is red hot right now, and you don’t want it to go out. Either way, how can we maintain our passion for God? In this series, we’ll look at four habits that can help keep the fire burning. Whether you’re reigniting your spiritual life or maintaining the heat, these practices can be life-changing.

The writer of the book of Hebrews gives us some helpful advice on maintaining the heat, the passion, in our walk. In chapter 11, he points us to heroes of the Bible who endured and overcame by faith. The chapter is even called “The Faith Hall of Fame.” Then, in chapter 12, and there really shouldn’t be a chapter break here, he writes this:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV)

The “therefore” in verse 1 looks back to all that was written in chapter 11. These heroes have run their race and finished well because of their faith. Now we’re running our race. The writer creates a picture of a huge stadium filled with all those who’ve already run the race and won the prize, including those mentioned in chapter 11. We’re on the track about to run, and we’re in a stadium full of former Olympic champions cheering us on as we run. And the person standing above them all, the one waiting for us at the finish line, is Jesus.

As Christians, we are in the race. It’s our turn to run, and this race isn’t optional. The main verb in Hebrews 12:1-3 is “let us run.” Life with Christ is a race we must run. It’s “marked out for us” by God. That means he doesn’t call us to drift through life with him. We have a goal, a purpose. Our spiritual life isn’t a stroll along the beach. It’s a race with one goal – to be like Christ.

In this passage, the writer tells us how to win the race. He gives us excellent advice on how to grow close to God and stay close to him, how to stay on fire for him. And the first step is to follow the examples God has placed in our lives: Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us… run.

The writer isn’t giving us a theology of what those in heaven see. It isn’t that they are literally watching us, but the heroes of the faith are witnessing to us through their stories,  assuring us that God will see us through, just as he saw them through. Read chapter 11 again. If those people could go through what they experienced and stay on fire for God, so can we. Let them be examples to you.

You probably also have heroes of your own. Who are the people in your life whose walk with God is an example to you?

One word of caution: choose your heroes wisely. If you’re looking for an example, make sure it’s someone healthy spiritually. Don’t look at someone who is spiritually sick.

When our children were little, I really hated it when they would drink after me. Or when they would lick my ice cream cone. So once when I had a cold, I told them that they couldn’t eat or drink after Daddy when he was sick. I thought that solved the problem.

Several weeks later, our second daughter, who was our youngest at the time, crawled up into my lap and asked, “Daddy, are you sick?” I said, “No, sweetie, I’m not sick.” Then she said, “Well, then, can I have some of your root beer?”

Just like you wouldn’t drink root beer after someone who is sick, don’t follow the example of someone who is spiritually sick. Who is it in your life who has a healthy walk with God and can be a good example for you?

I’ve been blessed with several in my life, and I’ve learned something from each of them. My grandmother, my mom, my wife, my great friend and former pastor, many of you reading this, and even my kids have been examples to me.

If you want to keep the fire burning in your walk with God and run the race he’s set before you, start looking right now for the people around you who run the race well. Reach out to them, ask for their wisdom, and invite them to share their stories with you. Watch, talk, listen, and commit to learning from their example. Start today, and let their lives help you stoke your own fire.