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Be A Flame Thrower!

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IF: Gathering is an annual women’s conference held in Austin, Texas, equipping women to be disciple makers. IF: Local takes the large IF: Gathering event to local churches and living rooms, featuring the live stream of several incredible speakers and a time of Christ-centered worship. A group of ladies from West Twin Grove gathered over 2 days to attend the IF: Gathering at IF: Local site, Eastview Christian Church in Normal. Here’s what was impressed upon the hearts of the thousands of women gathered around the globe: Be a flame thrower! In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul writes to Timothy “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. Remember the Sunday school song, “This little light of mine”? When we all have little lights that show the world we are God’s children, we make an impact that spreads light to others- spreading the Gospel and making disciples of all nations. However, if we were to fan that little light into a giant flame, a roaring fire, others could not deny its strength, its power and its heat. The flame becomes contagious. Instead of spreading little lights around the world, what if we threw flames? To be a flame thrower, we need to believe we have something worth throwing. Our faith needs to be so big it engulfs everything around it. It consumes our life- our decisions, our relationships and our conversations. One speaker at IF: Gathering, Vivian Mabini, used a great illustration for seeing real change in our walk with Christ. She had a large pitcher of milk on a table. While talking, she poured an entire bottle of chocolate syrup into the milk. The milk sat at the bottom while she continued to talk. Then she obviously stated that the pitcher was now chocolate milk and stuck her finger in the milk and tasted it. But, it didn’t taste like chocolate milk….yet. Then she took a spoon and stirred it. NOW, it tasted like chocolate milk. In the same way, we begin our faith journey in knowing Jesus and asking him into our hearts, like pouring chocolate into milk. But until we do anything with it, we haven’t stirred anything around, we haven’t fanned the flame so we don’t look different (or in this case, taste any different) than before we knew Christ. When we’ve poured fuel on the fire, allowed the fire to consume our everyday and start throwing flames, we have made a visible change others can see and recognize. The world is full of unbelieving believers, comfortable with our tiny candles in our laps, unwilling to share the flame. Let’s be flame throwers!

 How?

  1. Surrender to God. God, how do you want to use me to grow your kingdom?
  2. Be obedient. When God says move, move. When He speaks to your heart, listen.
  3. Be a disciple maker. Building the fire means sharing it with others. Choose just one person to pour into, teach and mentor. Love and listen to him/her the way Jesus would.

Lastly, a fire dies out if it’s not tended to. Keep careful watch on the flame that’s burning- the passion and fuel for your faith. It’s easy to be consumed and distracted by the bright light of the things of this world. “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17

Posted by Nicole Kohler