The Irony of Firefighters

The Irony of Firefighters

6/26/13

All of us understand the duties that a firefighter has and all of the dangers that the job entails.  If we live in a city, town or even close to a forest the potential of seeing a firefighter on a regular basis is somewhat high.  But have we stopped to think about the spiritual firefighters and what they do to our lives and do we even need spiritual firefighters around us?  I have to admit I never have thought about this concept before but we need to keep in mind that one type of firefighter is a necessity and the other type is not needed at all.

When I was in kindergarten my class had a day at the end of the year that allowed us to stand up in front of the class and tell everyone there what we wanted to be when we grew up.  All of the popular professions were represented of course with a few unusual ones thrown into the mix as well.  I picked the fireman since the job involved a large red truck that had lights and sirens on it.  Other than putting out fires with a huge hose and being able to ride in that red truck I had no clue of what firefighters actually did on a daily basis and to this day I still do not have an accurate description of all the things that firefighters are required to do on a routine basis either. J

We have all watched TV programs and saw how Hollywood portrays firefighters and most people who have lived in cities have probably witnessed them in action.  These men and women save hundreds and maybe thousands of lives each year by literally running into burning buildings and rescuing those who cannot get out.  Also, these same people who run into these buildings probably have saved countless other buildings and structures because of their training.  It takes a brave soul to complete the job of a firefighter and I have the utmost respect for them and their families.  It is a dangerous duty but a job that if no one wished to do it, the majority of us would have probably lost more personal treasures than we would like to speculate.

Living out in the western portion of the country we experience many days and nights with dry heat.  Dry heat is different than humid heat but it still has its dangers.  Dry heat is like an oven, literally and everything that an oven can do to food, those same environmental conditions can be created with this type of heat.  So almost every year that I have been living in the West, there have been major forest and grass fires that have plagued and then scorched our lands.  Even though the majority of them are started by Mother Nature humans do play a role in these engulfing infernos on occasion.

No one living in these parts of the country ever wish to hear the words 0% contained or uncontrollable when the people speaking these words are referring to a fire.  Fire and the potential for destruction will always strike fear into any heart and it is a normal reaction for those in the line of the fire’s path to be uneasy about the potential circumstances that they may be faced with in a short time.  It is the fear that fire will damage personal property that ignites controversy and only leaves more questions after the fire has been contained.

The importance of firefighters when these conditions flare up is unspeakably important to the well being of our lives.  If it was not for the jobs that these men and women do for a living the fires that roar across thousands of acres would not be contained and would eventually come into contact with major metropolitan areas.  Even with everything done possible there are still some wildfires that make into parts of these urban areas, and when this situation occurs we witness devastation that can create panic if left uncheck.

When I was a boy I remember a time when we began the process of trying out for another church.  I had no idea of why, what, or when and at that time I had no need to know or to understand.  However, I did pick up on a few things here and there and could recognize some repeated events or similar situations if they came into being.  One of them was a sermon that my dad used on occasion and it was a great sermon and it had a powerful and thought provoking message in it.  Now, remember that this example occurred was when I was a young boy, which means back in the early 80s or even in late 70s but the message that God gave dad for this sermon rings true and loud today as our country makes decisions that will affect our future.

I cannot remember the actual title of the sermon but it dealt with being tempered by fire and what happens after the firing process is completed.  I dubbed this sermon as “dad’s trying our sermon” because for a while he used this sermon when he and mom were trying out for the church.  I also remember him speaking one time at a church as a guest, with no strings attached at all.  He preached this sermon and when I began to hear the words, I leaned over and whispered to mom if we were trying out for the church.  She reassured me that they were not and that everything was ok and that dad was just doing what God had instructed him to say.

The sermon dealt with the process that God has us go through when He is getting rid of all our impurities.  Dad used a story about a punch and how it must be tempered before it can be used in the manner to which it was created for and if that punch is not tempered and then the worker goes to strike it, the punch will bend beyond repair with the first strike of the hammer.  See it is the presence of the impurities that make the punch inadequate for its usage and it is a wonderful example of how God needs to place us through the fire in order for our lives to be worthy of the trials and temptations that we will face each day of our lives.

It is the spiritual fire that I am talking about that God uses in order to complete our mission.  This spiritual tempering allows God to take away our impurities that our enemy will use against us in times of battle.  These impurities have also climbed into our lives by our continual exposure to the world and its lies and these impurities will continue to grow and weaken our spiritual condition if we do not allow God to place us into the fire for purification. 

Where do the firefighters come into play with this article?  I am glad you asked because they are spiritual firefighters that have the same mentality as the physical firefighters do.  Our enemy will try and do anything in order to keep us from going through the fire that God has for us.  And yes, this includes spiritual firefighters; seems kind of farfetched huh, but keep reading.

When we give God access to our hearts and inner lives we also allow Him to begin the process of purification.  God does not desire to see us suffer with the things of the world nor does He wish for us to keep these impurities within that we have acquired.  As with the installation process of His covenant He consumes the impurities with His holy fire and burns them away all the while making a statement to our enemy that this vessel is now cleared from this access.  It is important for us to remember that His covenant is pure and its origin so that means any imperfection noticed will be exhumed by this fire.  So, it is natural for our enemy to place firefighters around this fire in order to keep it from doing its job.  It is only natural that our enemy would respond in this manner.  He always has a counter action when God decides to act; this is another point to keep in mind as well.

God does not have spiritual firefighters, for if He did then it would nullify His covenant with man that He specifically described in the Old Testament.  God’s fire is specific and pure reaching to what needs to be burned and the portion that is not to be touched, untouched.  There is no maybe about God’s fire and He does not need any firefighters to watch over His fire while it is being administered.  He created the vessel that the fire is being used upon and He even created the fire itself so why would He need any help in “controlling” the fire?

Spiritual firefighters are placed in these strategic places within our spirits so that we have an option if we feel that they are needed.  Satan places them there in plain view so that we have plenty of opportunity to use their services if we wish.  It is a personal choice and once that they realize that God is in control of this purification process and that we are not changing our minds they have to stand down, but if doubt ever arises they will be right back as fast as they can.  For, they understand this purification process and they know that because of their choices in the distant past they cannot have this opportunity of purification again and all that they are doing is trying to selfishly obey their boss.

So there is the irony of the firefighters.  On the physical side of life firefighters have a very important job to complete when called upon and on the spiritual side of things firefighters are straight from the pit of hell trying to douse the holy flames that God is using to strengthen your life and to purify it at the same time.  God is trying His best to make you “punch worthy” so that we can complete our mission as He wants us to. 

The spiritual fire and its ‘burning” will hurt and it will cause some discomfort, but after God has completed His work in us our lives will blossom even greater than we could ever imagine.  True inner freedom will ring from our lives and our spirit will once again be free to worship God and to communicate with God as it was created to do.  A restored spirit is a unique and pure one, to which only those who have allowed God to complete this process can understand.  It is God’s desire for you to choose Him and to allow Him to make you spiritually strong once again.  So if you see any physical firefighters out and about, go up to them and thank them for the jobs that they do, but if you see any spiritual firefighters in your life, ignore them and then point them out to God so that He can take care of them for you.

DLB