Keep the Fire Burning

It's one thing to light a fire. It's quite another to keep the fire burning.

It seems to me, one of the key responsibilities of any leader is to light fires and keep them lit. While it seems better to hire people who are already on fire, the probability is that everyone on the team will need their fire stoked by a leader.

There are too many fire extinguishers in most workplaces. I saw a fire marshal last week as he was checking a fire extinguisher supply in a building. I thought he was checking in all the wrong places.

Every organization seems to have an ample supply of naysayers and fire quenchers. Negative people have powerful vision to see why anything and everything will not work. They walk in the flesh and see what vultures see while hovering overhead.

Paul told Timothy to "reject profane and old wives fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness" (1 Tim. 4:7, NKJV).

My interpretation of this powerful instruction is to reject fire stompers.

Leaders carry matches and sometimes torches. They light fires even where no embers are smoking. Fire starters speak just the right words and kindle even the coldest camp. We know that fire maintenance is a spiritual battle.

Our model leader demonstrated the importance of spiritual fire. "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3:11).

Leaders are fire spreaders.