Light The Fire Again!

As with most things new, there is excitement and wonderment. One warms up to a new idea or activity, be it a sport, a programme or a situation. If you are a follower of Christ, what about the day you put your faith in Christ? When everything was new and fresh. Or how about the day you got baptised? Or the day you led the first person to God and receive salvation? I remember being ‘on fire’ in my youth and through my years as a young adult; there was physical exuberance and less inhibition in inviting friends to an evangelistic rally or being overt about my prayers and wishes for them expressed in letters and cards or even slipping in a tract. Was that you too? Or if you are a younger person (in age and/or faith), is this you now?

About three weeks ago, a Christian brother Samuel from Kenya contacted me. I last met him when he was a young man at the crossroads of school and deciding his future steps. I was visiting his village during a church mission trip in 2008. Fourteen years later, he is now a father of four and works in a marketing function in the town of Kitengela – about 2 hours’ drive south from the capital, Nairobi. As schools closed in 2021 due to the pandemic, he started to devote time and attention to winning young souls for Christ, beginning with his own children. Then God brought more of the town’s children to him since there was no school for them to attend. Samuel has since started a regular weekend programme when he teaches Bible stories to up to 20 children.  He also runs Christian classes for them during the  school  holidays  and  mid-term  breaks. Apart from obediently carrying out God’s great commission, he does so against the backdrop of what he says are “youth perishing in alcohol and drugs” and becoming desperate because “they lack the word of truth which can encourage them, give them hope and help them overcome challenges in life”.

As Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated, serving our Heavenly Father and carrying out His mandate comes  at a cost. The costs Samuel was personally bearing included rent for a larger room to accommodate more children, providing simple meals for them, learning material and stationery. Among other things, he also shared his desire to procure 15 Bibles for the children and two acoustic guitars to worship God with.

Being half the world away, Samuel’s circumstances and mine may be unique, but the mission remains the same, i.e. to make disciples of all nations and baptise them (Matthew 28:16-20). Perhaps God has led us to reconnect after so many years as His way of rekindling my devotion to Him, to be on fire again like I was in my youth, to once again consider what is urgent, what is my priority, what is my time going towards and how I may better steward my resources.

Let us warm up to our FIRST love, the One who is Love.

Where we may have gone lukewarm or ice cold,

may the lyrics of this song be our fervent prayer:
Don’t let my love grow cold
I’m calling out, light the fire again
Don’t let my vision die
I’m calling out, light the fire again

You know my heart, my deeds
I’m calling out, light the fire again
I need your discipline
I’m calling out, light the fire again

By brother Stanley Leong