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Fire can be seen as a destructive thing. It burns. It damages. It alters the appearance of anything near it to the point where new things are left in the place of old things. It is also something which usually doesn’t get the proper respect until one is given a close encounter with it.

In Georgia, where I live, fireworks are illegal. They can’t be sold or shot off unless it is by a trained pyrotechnic engineer. The translation to this is that you may buy them in a neighboring state, and many law officers will look the other way while you use them as long as these miniature explosives aren’t detonated in areas such as mailboxes, anthills, your neighbor’s gas tank, etc.

As you can imagine, accidents happen. Many a redneck’s last words have resulted from a combination of fireworks, alcohol, and the words “Hey fellas, watch this”. I myself had burns treated by broken pieces of aloe vera plant many times. Sparklers, Black Cats, Jumping Jacks, M-80s, and the like were favorites among myself and my brothers. After emptying Roman Candles of their multi-colored flares, it was natural to forgo the directions on the bottle rockets’ package (the ones that said to ONLY light the rockets after they were placed in a bottle and then back away to a safe distance). Instead, the used, hollowed-out Roman Candle, held out as an extension of our arms, now served as a perfect launching pad for aiming at our nearest cousin.

When Fire is attributed to God, it is usually with a sense of awe and holiness. God used fire through both the Old and New Testaments. The Israelites were led out of Egypt with a “pillar of fire” (Ex. 13:21). Burnt sacrifices required the presence of fire. The writer of Hebrews describes our God as a “consuming fire” (12:29). It can seem curious that we are called to “draw closer” to something that apparently has a very destructive quality.


However, there is another way we use “fire” to describe God, and that is to be “on fire” for Him. This doesn’t mean we prove our love to Him by drenching ourselves in gasoline and doing the limbo under a lit Tiki torch, but instead to act out the passion that has been instilled in us – a passion, or fire, that prompts us to do things we wouldn’t do before.

When an athlete is doing everything right, they are said to be “on fire.” All of the right moves are just coming to them. The baseball is expanded. The basketball hoop is bigger. The other football players are moving in slow motion. When we are “on fire” for God, we should be able to discern his word better, see more clearly those who are hurting, and watch our tongue and actions with a more patient heart. We should feel closer to the source.

Just as with the athlete, though, there is a catch to getting this passion and closeness to God. We have to work at it. I may think I’m able to step onto the court for the San Antonio Spurs and help them repeat as NBA champions next year...but it won’t happen. I’m out of shape. I have no knowledge of the playbook. I have no skills. Our passion/fire for God manifests itself through our willingness to sacrifice for Him. We’re willing to put in the time to study the playbook. We get ourselves into spiritual shape. We become more in tune with our teammates. When we’re called off the bench, which is more often than we want to admit, we’re ready to be “on fire” for Him.

In the course of this training, of being near the Fire, we’re changed. It can feel destructive at first because our old habits and ways are being put to death. We may feel that we’re being burned by friends as they decide they don’t like our new life and leave. Our spiritual (and perhaps physical) appearance is altered. At the end of the metamorphosis, we see that our close encounter with Him has indeed created something new.

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