1 Thessalonians 5:19
I remember well from my childhood the many times my mother baked a cake and we all had to tiptoe around the house. We feared that any noise might cause the beautiful creation in the oven to collapse into a mess. So, I can relate with the advice “Don’t slam the oven door if you have a cake baking. The top of the cake will drop.”
We need to be careful with our actions so that they don’t cause problems in other places. What command is given in today’s passage?
The statement is simple. “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” Don’t do those things which make others give up hope and inspiration. We all must be aware and cautious with our attitudes and words.
So often I have seen people get on fire about doing something good. They may want to do an outreach, help needy people, raise money for the poor and so on. And there is frequently someone who will douse the flames of inspiration. “We can’t do that!” “That’s silly.”
Then you can see the top of that cake collapse. The drive to do good things is suddenly extinguished, the hopes squashed, the confidence gone. If we are going to obey Proverbs 22:6 and teach others in the way they should go, we should be willing to encourage rather than discourage. We should fan the flames of the Spirit rather than put them out.
This does not allow for everyone to do whatever they wish. We must go about ministry and God’s work with proper planning and pure intent. But we must be willing to allow others to pursue the hopes and desires the Holy Spirit has instilled in them. We must be there to encourage and assist, and then trust that God will have things work as they should.
DAILY CHALLENGE: Is there a spiritual fire that you need to encourage rather than put out?
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