True Heart Burn
There was a moment of panic when it was time to light the candles, and I reached for the lighter, which was missing from the drawer. I asked one of my children, “Do you have my igniter?” When they replied no, my next question was, “Do you have a lighter next to your candle?” After running to their room and frantically looking but not finding one, we all ran through the house looking for something to light the birthday candles! There is something sad about seeing a beautiful cake full of unlit candles and thinking this won’t be as much fun if we can’t get them lit. My heart sank. The unfulfilled purpose in this situation stung a little like heartburn.
A candle’s purpose is simple; there is one reason it was created. Therefore, every element of its makeup, from wax to wick, is for one purpose⸺ to burn and give off light. What if the same is true for you? What if every cell in your body or disposition in your makeup is designed to BE or DO something special? Well, spoiler alert, YOU ARE!
You are created to be like Jesus! He is life, and that life is the light of men (John 1:4). You are made in His image, and He says you are made to burn brightly⸺ brighter than a candle!
“For you are all children of the light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night nor to the darkness.” 1 Thess. 5:5
“Your life stands tall as a tower, like a shining light on a hill.” Song of Song 7:4
“Your lives light up the world.” Matthew 5:14
Every day you can walk out destiny, what you were created for. You aren’t meant to forfeit purpose by hiding your light. You and I were designed to be ignited by His love, so our lives could shine brightly wherever we sit, stand, walk, or run. We are made to carry His goodness, righteousness, power, and truth to the dark places around us (Eph 5:9).
Every moment matters. Who we believe we are in the waiting, coming, and going determines how we live in those moments. The truth of our identity is crucial because it determines how we embrace each moment. I like to say, “Destiny is comprised of successive nows.” Destiny (purpose) can be walked out or lived out in every small or big step. Whether resting or running, we can be impactful if we are being who we were created to be in the middle of every “now.” Being made in His image means we can access God’s heart beating in our chest, His breath in our lungs, and His power flowing through as we walk over obstacles and into opportunities.
We are not limited just because our circumstances seem to confine us. The labels or limitations of this world do not define our destiny. Distractions, disappointment, depletion, delays, or detours do not determine destiny. Destiny can be found in all moments because our purpose and identity are found in something more significant. Woven into our existence’s very fabric, the DNA of our lives, is the ability to burn and shine. We are created to be ignited by the love of the Father, remaining in Jesus, which removes any work we can do in our own strength. We keep ourselves in Him, finding our identity as we gaze into His eyes and see the love of the Father burning like a blazing fire. His love, sacrifice, and Spirit living in us keep us burning⸺ ignited to shine!
Have you been lit up by His love? Have you encountered the incredible, fierce, extravagant love of the Father that ignites our hearts? Does your heart burn (in a good way) when He speaks? Do you feel the passion and power that dispels fear? Even if you have felt it before, getting a fresh dose is essential. We can’t stay lit and burn brightly without staying in Him or encountering His presence daily! A fresh encounter with peace, hope, life, love, and joy will ignite an unlit heart to burn again or keep an already burning heart fierce!
There is a simple purpose— to encounter His love and be set on fire. Will you stop today and create space to be touched by the refining fire of God? Pause, open your heart, breathe in His peace, and encounter His goodness. Stare into His eyes; He is full of love for you. His heart burns (with love) for you. Does your heart burn daily in Him? That is a true and glorious heart set on fire. Let your heart burn.
