I want to Stir You Up

I want to stir you up. Not to stir up anger or trouble. Actually, quite the opposite, but to love and good works.

So often I hear in people a tiredness, a lethargy, even a complete deadness to something that sits resident within their souls.

Maybe they have been put down, criticised, mocked, or ignored. They might have shared something deep, but it wasn’t listened to well.

Within them, something lies dormant, waiting for a spring that seems to never come.

I quite like watching those reality TV shows where people are out in the wilderness and they have to survive. One of the tasks they have to always do is to light a fire.

They grab some twigs and dry leaves, and by rubbing some pieces of wood together fast, the friction creates a few glowing embers.

Then they gently blow on those little embers. The breath stimulates the fire to glow and burn brighter. Too much breath and the flame can be blown out. Too little and it won’t make a difference.

This YouTube video shows how it is done.

What lies dormant in you?

What has been shut down in you?

Perhaps you have had no encouragement at all.

Perhaps others who have wanted to help have used so much force and pressure that it’s blown out the little flame within.

Has no one spent the time to be gently curious about your inner world and to stir up a beautiful flame in you.

Consider how to stir up one another

The writer of one of the letters in the Bible, Hebrews, I think knew how to light a fire and to keep it going.

The writer shares these words.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:24-25

I see them sitting with someone and stirring up the person. Not with harsh admonishment or ‘try harder’ messages, but more so with brief words of encouragement.

Words that speak to the vision they see of the person being fully alive and on fire.

Words that seek out the seed that God has sown in the others life.

It may only take a spark to get a fire going, but it’s the quite gentle breath of others that stimulates the fire to grow.

Love and Good Works

There is a purpose in our stirring up. There is an outcome we desire to see.

Its love and good works.

Love – Agapé is a term used in the New Testament to describe a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love.

It is the highest form of love, often associated with the love of God for humanity and the love that believers are called to have for one another.

Unlike other Greek words for love, such as “eros” (romantic love) or “philia” (brotherly love), agapé is not based on emotions or feelings but is an act of the will, characterized by a commitment to the well-being of others. Biblehub

Good works
– kalos – The Greek adjective “kalos” is used to describe that which is inherently good, beautiful, or noble.

It often conveys a sense of moral goodness or ethical beauty, extending beyond mere physical appearance to include qualities of character and actions.

In the New Testament, “kalos” is frequently used to describe good deeds, noble actions, and the inherent goodness of God’s creation and commandments. . Biblehub

– ergon – The Greek word “ergon” is commonly used in the New Testament to denote work, deed, or action.

It encompasses a wide range of activities, from physical labor to moral actions and spiritual deeds.

The term is often used to describe the works of God, the deeds of individuals, and the actions that demonstrate faith.

In a theological context, “ergon” can refer to both good works, which are the fruit of faith, and works of the law, which cannot justify a person before God. . Biblehub

What I hear the writer saying.

I want to stimulate, blow on, stir up, something of the love nature of God that is within you.
I can see it, I know it’s there, everyone has it, but it needs others to endorse its presence and to kindle it into life.
Then that flame will flow on to being a life that radiates out to others something of the agape love nature of God.
People will see it and be drawn to worshiping God and wanting to know more.

Not neglecting to meet together

The writer of Hebrews continues with these words.

Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another. Hebrews 10:24-25

I hear these words so often used as rule and as a tool of admonishment.

They are trotted out as a command ‘The Bible says to not neglect meeting together’

True, I think it’s very important to meet with others, but is the relationship being offered one where your ’embers’ are being blown on and stirred up?

Are others excited to see you and want to encourage you in such a way that brings about love and good works?

When considering a church/ faith community/ small group relationship, I want to know is this ‘meeting together’ one where we cause something within each other to ignite and burn bright?

It takes time

We all want the fire here and now. We don’t want to wait, but it takes patience and practice.

Most conversations are about 10 seconds away from greatness.

10 seconds where we stop what we are going to say and we listen for that little longer. We listen, watch and pray for an ember to be revealed.

We say a few words.

We write a note.

We touch something deep with a gently curious question that stirs up some embers.

Stir you up

I want to stir you up
I want to blow on your fire
The embers are low
And almost out
I want to stir up your fire
Before it is out

I see a blaze of fire
Yet to break out
I blow gently on embers
The warmth for world to shout

I blow quite gentle
Just a quiet breath
A few words that go deep
Simple to accept

A spark connects with another
An ember warms a coal
Red and wild yellow
Bursts light brilliance into the tinder

Before long
A flame emerges
Light for the world
Warmth for my cold beggar

You’ve got something within you
We must meet together
For love and good works
Let’s tend to the treasure

Buried beneath
Way down low
Some treasure needs revealing
Bring its glory to show

I will blow on your embers
When they grow cold
You’ll blow on mine
Even when old

The world will know
The Christ light has come
When fires blaze wild
Souls together have come

Would you like to sit with me and listen for the embers? To have some encouragements blow your way?

Let’s have some Soultalk.

Questions?
Comments?
Email me 🙂📨
barry@turningthepage.co.nz

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Quotes to consider

People with a large and repressed shadow world usually will be stern and moralistic. Richard Rohr -Job and the Mystery of Suffering
Man lives by affirmation even more than by bread. Victor Hugo Les Misérables
Encouragement breeds encouragement. Be sure to give it to your spouse before looking for some yourself. David Riddell
Real encouragement occurs when words are spoken from a heart of love to another’s recognized fear. Larry Crabb
Praise and encouragement is much more effective in changing others’ behaviour than is criticism, but which do you use on yourself? D. Riddell
In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. Albert Schweitzer
The word encouragement has its root in the Latin word cor, which literally means “heart”. So does the word courage. To have courage means to have heart. To encourage – to provide with or give courage – literally means to give others heart. James Kouzes and Barry Posner – Encouraging the Heart
Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one. C.S. Lewis
Don’t walk in front of me… I may not follow
Don’t walk behind me… I may not lead
Walk beside me… just be my friend. Albert Camus
Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless. Mother Teresa

Questions to answer

What would it be like to have someone sit with you and stir up something deep and good within you?
Often we jump in too soon in our conversations. We have to say something. What does it take to hold back 10 seconds to listen deeply?
Have you ever had the rule bound stick of ‘Do not neglect meeting together’ brought out on you? Have you used it on yourself? Why do we do this?

Formation exercise

Think of someone you know. Pray about them. Bring them to God as if they were a bundle of small twigs needing to be ignited. Ask God the words you need to share with them so as to ‘stir them up’ to love and good works.