Burn

Matthew 5:16, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Something happens when we come into relationship with God. Somehow His overwhelming love in those encounters makes us feel uniquely special. Truth coming from Him seems so earth shaking. We response excitedly with why hasn’t someone taught this, or why hasn’t someone seen this before? What is genuine and good mixes with what is contaminated and wrongly motivated and the results are preaching and teaching and planning and doing. God must have shown me my unique beauty so that I can help save the world. God must be showing me this truth so that I can proclaim it on the roof tops, so that I can be the expert.

No… God has loved us, and shown us truth so that we can burn.

Candles give light by burning wax. Lamps give light by burning oil. Light bulbs give light by burning a filament. The sun gives light by burning hydrogen. If our light is to shine, it is to necessitate some form of burning.

Some times that burning is to sit in silence waiting for God (not you) to reveal a truth to someone. It’s so hard not to play God…

It’s so hard not to apply the truth for your life to someone else’s life, and the closer they are in the flesh the harder it is to remain silent… burning inside… living the example rather than preaching something unpracticed.

Jesus said, “What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light, and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.” But what is He whispering? Has He whispered a judgment? I think not. Has He whispered a doctrine? Has He whispered to go and create an institution? Doubtful.

But I do know He whispers that He loves me. He whispers truth that builds our relationship in whatever circumstance exists for me in the moment. In darkness He speaks so that when I am in the light, in the middle of the burning, or in the middle of others burning… that I have words and more importantly good works that are a demonstration of the Father’s love.

And so we are called to be… to be a light radiating God’s love, burning in the fight against the flesh to own a truth that is not ours. Burning against the pride of life that tries to exalt self in God’s presence rather than be humbled at His magnificence, mercy, and grace.

T Austin Sparks wrote, “What we have to do is to live in the place of His appointment in the power of His resurrection.” God appoints where the light goes, and in being burned down His power resurrects. In burning Christ’ resurrection power comes through. He goes on to say, “if, in the midst of others, the Lord can get but two of His children, in whom His Life (Resurrection Life) is full and free, to live on the basis of that Life, and not to seek to gather others to themselves or to get them to congregate together on the basis of their acceptance of certain truths or teaching, but simply to witness to what Christ means and is to them, then He has an open way…”

We burn that Christ might resurrect in His power, giving light by example, without agenda, without goals, but in daily obedience to what God has given us.

How much easier it would be to plan to save the world? How much more painless would it be to create a helpful organization? Wouldn’t it be great if those we love could simple learn from our experience?

Unfortunately being in relationship to God is wholly subjective, and must be learned and lived by the individual; otherwise it would not be a relationship at all. We simply need to continue to burn, to give off life, and to be a safe haven as Jim Spivey said this morning to those who come to the light looking for just that.