Kendall the Fire

This week, we kicked off the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. At Mid-America Christian University, we had a truly blessed experience led by our worship leader (Kevin Dugay) and a message from the Dean of the Chapel at Indiana Wesleyan University (Dr. Andrea Summers). Subsequently, I got this letter from Dr. Mark Yarbrough (President of Dallas Theological Seminary). I rarely share other people’s musings in this blog, but you may remember that I previously introduced you to Dr. Yarbrough’s work. In this case, I felt like his thoughts tied in with Ash Wednesday and the season of Lent, because—to me—Lent is about renewing and refocusing our faith. Listen to Mark’s words…

Not long ago, I was on a fishing trip—one of my favorite pastimes. It’s cold in the morning, and we have a rule that the first person who wakes up has to start the fire. I’m usually the first one up, and I love those moments. I start the fire and sit close, warming my hands and feet while I have some quiet time with the Lord.

 A friend was on this trip with me, and we noticed that the fire had waned from the night before. You could see the coals, with some smoldering orange embers. Ashes covered the top. So I hopped up to gather some wood to restart the blaze.

When I returned, my friend looked at me, pointed at the coals, and said, “That’s my faith right now. It used to be ablaze; I was on fire for the Lord. But now, my faith is buried under the ashes.”

 I realized that we’re all there sometimes. The mountaintops and valleys, the messes we create, and the messes that come to us. Sometimes our faith is ablaze . . . praise God for those moments in our lives! But there are other times when we’re covered in ash, getting cold and gray.

 I started thinking about a few key questions: “If your faith is ablaze, how do you stoke it and keep it going strong?” and “If you’re covered in the ashes and all you have are coals, how do you rekindle your faith?”

 I’d like briefly to share six values that I think will help stoke your faith and keep it ablaze:

 Devotion: Bold Trust in God’s Word—One of the most productive things we can do to revitalize our faith is to spend time with the Lord in His Word.

• Dependence: Full Reliance on God’s Power—Living in total God-reliance keeps us in our place and reminds us that every day is a gift from God.
• Love: Authentic Compassion for Others—Genuine concern for others models the life of Jesus. It makes us grateful; it takes our eyes off ourselves and allows us to see the world in need as God sees the world in need.
• Holiness: Relentless Pursuit of God-Honoring Excellence—Character matters to God, and giving our best to Him is tied to knowing our purpose on the planet. Strive to do everything with integrity of heart and skillfulness of hands.
• Servanthood: Genuine Selflessness—When we do serve selflessly, our eyes are removed from self and motivated to love as God loves.
• World Impact: Courageous Zeal for God’s World—God’s love is for the world. His heart for all people is clear in John 3:16.

 These six areas are not an exhaustive list, but they may serve as a catalyst to experiencing a vibrant faith.

Good thoughts, Dr. Yarbrough… my prayer is that each of us might journey through this season of Lent toward the cross and the resurrection with a renewed and vibrant faith.