Spark- Friction


spark

And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men. And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Luke 5:10b-11

The calling of the disciples is a part of scripture that has also floored me.  Many of the disciples are called simply when Jesus says, “Follow me.”  Even in Simon’s calling above Jesus just says, don’t be afraid.  How did these men go from ordinary lives, to following Jesus to the cross?  I believe that in Jesus call to the disciples something sparked in their souls, a fire began that would grow rapidly.  Something about Jesus call, causes a reaction in the souls of his 12 disciples that led them on a Journey to become the pioneers of the early Christian church.

As I read their stories, I long to be like them, being lit on fire so clearly by God, and for that passion to overflow into their ministry, and all of their lives.  I also believe this is what God has for each of us.  I believe that God made you and me as passionate people.  You are hard wired to have certain issues or places that just light you on fire and make you come to life, to fill you with great passion to be on mission with God in all of your life.  For the next few posts I am going to reflect around how God sparks our passion, and how we might live into the life that God is calling us to.

Let’s start simple, how can you start a fire?  Whether you use flint, gas or a lighter, you need a catalyst, something that causes the fire to begin.  In the case of many fire starting agents (flint, lighter, matches), what is central to the catalyst is friction.  Physiologically your body grows stronger by creating tension in your muscles, by pushing your body to the limits so that you might become stronger.  You want some friction and tension, imagine the reactions of those around Simon Peter when he walked away from his nets to follow this Jesus guy.  I believe that a part of transformation, is God creating friction in our lives, in a manner that can be called creative tension.  Not so much friction that is damaging, but enough to make your uncomfortable, enough to drive you to change, to reflect, to move.

I share this because for most people friction and discomfort is something we believe is bad.  We seek to make it go away.  I challenge you to look at places of friction, of creative tension in your life, and reflect, might God be using that to ignite your passion, to move you to a place of change, to grow you as a person?  Might that creative tension be a catalyst God is using to ignite your passion, to bring you to life, to mold you into the person He created you to be?

 

Pastor Bill