Proximity to Fire

My last post looked at the danger fire poses on those closest to it by looking at ministry.

Today I want us to examine examples from the scriptures to enable us understand what it means to be close to fire.

Let not many of you be teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive heavier judgment. (James 3:1)

Why was Moses unable to cross over to the Promised Land?

Do you realize that it could have been a very flimsy reason had it been somebody else?

He was angry, justifiably so. He was also under extreme pressure as the people wanted to stone him. How does someone remain sober amid noise from two million disgruntled ‘children’?

Yet it is important to understand why God could not overlook Moses’ mistake.

He was too close to God to be excused for anything. He knew God too well to make the mistake he did irrespective of the pressure. Simply speaking he was too close to God’s fire to escape the scalding from the same.

There was simply no excuse for Moses to do what he did considering his closeness with God and the assignment God had given him.

Aaron made the golden calf and escaped with a rebuke, amongst many other errors in judgment. Remember he even joined ranks with Miriam to question Moses’ authority?

Look also at David. His single error of adultery opened judgment on his whole lineage. Yet we have Joab who killed for envy in a cold blooded manner not being judged thus.

What am I talking about?

In a forest are many trees of different sizes.

What happens when a very huge tree falls (or is felled)?

It never goes alone. It will fell many other trees. In fact it will kill any tree that lies on its fall.

I hope you realize that ministry is many times exactly like that?

A minister is most times like that tree. And his prominence is always tied to his closeness to God, real or imagined.

That is why someone is not ashamed of seeking counsel from a person of his grandchildren’s age, just because he is a minister. That is why someone can take rebuke from his children for the same reason.

The minister represents God. You remember that Israel would repent for speaking against Moses as well as speaking against God?

That is where fire comes from. God knows the vantage point we occupy in people’s hearts and minds and so will not excuse any fall on our side. He would therefore rather burn us than allow us to burn others with the power He has entrusted us with. Again it is irrespective of whether we have been called or called ourselves since the ‘sheep’ may not be so discriminating.

That is why I always insist that one must have a very clear call to respond to.

I might love people to the extent that I interpret that concern for ministry calling (or they mistake it). I then become a pastor, evangelist, prophet, on that basis. I really have no muscle for that and could very easily crumble when the stresses of actual ministry pound on me yet I have hordes looking up to me to understand God.

My fall, discouragement, despair, depression, will not stop with me but affect all who are looking up to me or are under my watch. It means that it will affect them far more than it affects since it will have a ripple effect on them.

God will therefore burn us before we burn His people, or because we burn them.

I hope you understand.

Are you called? Are you ready for that fire?