A Life on Fire

In 2 Thessalonians 1:11 the Apostle Paul prays that the church would “walk worthy of this calling.” This prayer may sound odd to many people. Walk worthy? Aren’t we made worthy by the blood of Jesus and the free gift of righteousness? Well, yes – we have been made worthy, in that sense. It is true that we have been given access to grace beyond measure, unconditional forgiveness, and even eternal life with God. But many saved believers with the free gift of righteousness are not walking worthy of their calling. They are not actively pursuing obedience in every area of their life. They may be banking on an eternal existence in heaven and relishing the forgiveness they have received, but meanwhile they live a life that is mostly self-consumed. The apostle’s prayer exhibits God’s own desire for his children to live worthy of their calling; holy lifestyles that are fervent, humble, and obsessed with the Kingdom of God coming to earth. To walk worthy of our calling means to live in a way that values and responds to the incredible grace we have received. This is the meaning of this apostolic prayer and it is the dream of Jesus Himself for the end time church – men and women that are truly flames of fire in an increasingly dark world.

I believe that the Lord is currently raising up messengers of fire who will walk worthy of their calling like no other time in history. This is much more dynamic than a person with a charismatic personality, impressive gifts, or a cool spiritual vision or two. These end time firebrands will love God when no one is looking, give themselves to the lost and hurting, and use their time and money in ways that are baffling to the people around them. They will pray with desperation, live with purpose, and fear God more than their friends and family. The deep darkness is increasing on the surface of the earth as we draw nearer to the return of Jesus, but these messengers are now being prepared for the church’s brightest moment in all of history. They will be witnesses of love and truth that will speak to nations in stadiums one day and then descend into the secret place of private prayer and service to others the next day without blinking an eye. Some men may write lofty theological treatises or inscribe the title “apostle” on their business card, but precious few are really affected by the fire of their every day life. True messengers of fire are formed when heaven’s grace meets the radical response of the sons of men. This response is more than emotional worship and loud prayers at a four day prophetic conference; it is a carefully orchestrated and consistent lifestyle of devotion.

I was walking to my apartment the other day and three aspects of this worthy lifestyle before God popped into my mind. In my own words, they are direction, wholeheartedness, and focus. If we are to live consistently in a way that pleases God and prepares us for our destiny, we need to hone in on the details of each of these concepts.

We must walk with direction in our life before God. Direction concerns where we are headed and a vision for our life. This direction should be inspired by the Scriptures and the discernment that comes from a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Proverbs 29:18 states that without vision, the people perish. Without clear insight into the personality of God and His plan for you, you will wander aimlessly. In my own life, I was arrested at the age of twenty by two different themes that have stuck with me ever since. First, certain books and sermons gave me a taste of the passionate and pleasant character of God. I became convinced that God smiles over me, His heart is full of zealous love, and that there is pleasure in His presence that is more powerful than anything this world has to offer. The direction of our life should be for God and God alone – He is exceedingly beautiful to behold, and it is good to waste our life on Him. Second, I grew acutely aware of the fact that the hour of history is late, we are approaching the end time events of the book of Revelation, and that it is not the time for “business as usual.” This revelation has put a significant urgency in my spirit and has changed the way I plan and think about my future. I may lose the feeling of these revelations for a season or two, but to this day these principles still give me light and direction in almost every area of my life.

Once the Lord has pierced our hearts with His direction for our lives, we must give ourselves to it with wholeheartedness. Radical devotion is faith that costs us everything; it is a broken alabaster jar of perfume lavished upon the feet of our Master. This kind of intense love for Jesus is based on what He has done for us on the cross and it is empowered by the fire of His Spirit. The Son of God literally poured Himself out unto death for our sakes during the short time that He walked the earth. He was obedient to His physical family when no one was looking, He fashioned wooden tables and chairs while no one was applauding, He spent three years ministering without a consistent place to lay His head, and then He gave Himself up to a tortuous death – all for love of you and I. Wholeheartedness looks up to that One on the cross, sees His eyes of passion, throws reservation to the wind and gives whatever it can in voluntary response. There is pain in sacrifice such as this, but there is also exhilaration. The human spirit soars when it is given to something with complete abandonment. The Apostle Paul caught a glimpse of the cross in this same way and wrote, “…the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Finally, we add focus to a purposed and wholehearted lifestyle. The element of focus takes vision and dedication and transfers it to real weeks, days, and hours on our schedule. Again, the Holy Spirit uses Paul to write: “Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection…” (1 Corinthians 9:26-27). There is careful planning, precision, and self-control in a life with focus. One can be full of zeal for God after an experience but never take the time to transfer that passion into his practical every day life. After a word from God steers us and touches us, we must begin to plan our relationships, occupational dreams, and budget around it in tangible ways. The most important aspect of any Christian’s focus is to give time every day to prayer and the Word and to set aside consistent days for fasting. Our ministries, relationships, and responsibilities will begin to flow out of our encounter with God in these times. After this, one might ask themselves if they are using their money in ways that are generous and yet disciplined and measured. Are our conversations full of life and encouragement, or gossip and cynicism? How do we plan our free time in light of the vision God has given us? Questions like these help to focus our passion for the Lord and feed the furnace of the fire within.

All three of the above elements contribute to a life that is truly on fire. Without God’s direction, the most wholehearted and focused believer will just be running swiftly down a dead end street. They are sincere, but ineffective and dangerous. Without wholeheartedness, even a visionary with unparalleled discipline will eventually dry up on the inside. His actions are flawless, but he has yet to be compelled by the love of Christ. And without focus, even the one with direction and passion will eventually lose their way when the responsibilities and worries of this life demand their attention. They mean well, but their zeal never manifests itself in the mundane events of life. Those who pursue all three aspects of a worthy lifestyle will successfully navigate the path of life for the long haul. These are the shining stars of God’s economy that will burn with His brightness for eternity.