In my last post, What Victoria Falls Taught me about faith – Yvonne M Morgan, I mentioned we spent time in Africa this summer to escape the brutal heat of our Oklahoma community. Kenya and Zambia are below the equator, so it is wintertime for them. We donned sweatshirts in the morning and evenings as we enjoyed sitting by the fire to chase away the chill.
One evening in Kenya, as we sat down for dinner, the restaurant placed a jiko beside our table to keep us warm. A jiko is a container made of clay. People use it for burning charcoal or small pieces of wood. The locals use for cooking or to give heat. Ours used charcoal, and the piece soon glowed a deep, fiery red. The hot coals crackled and popped as they flared up, and soon their warmth engulfed us as we ate. It offered us comfort, warmth, and light for our evening.
Jiko Lesson of Community
As I watched the glowing coals, God quietly impressed a lesson on my heart. They all worked together to accomplish their purpose. If we separated one piece of charcoal, it would soon burn out on its own. The coals fed on each other and sustained each other longer than if they worked alone. A lesson we can all learn from as we fulfill our purpose in God’s kingdom. We are called to serve in community so that we can strengthen each other.
If we separated one piece of charcoal, it would soon burn out on its own. Let that sink in. Watching those glowing coals reminded me how easy it is to drift spiritually when I try to carry my faith alone. God never intended us to follow Him in isolation.
The Body of Christ
As we connect with other believers, the fire of our faith burns brighter. We encourage one another, strengthen one another, and help carry one another through tough seasons. We find several Bible verses that offer us this encouragement to stay connected to other people of faith:
- “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17 (NIV).
- “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” Hebrews 10:24 (NIV).
- “9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: 10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV).
- “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” 2 Timothy 1:6 (NIV).
Throughout the Bible, we find our forefathers encouraging us to stay connected in faith. The Bible uses these and other verses to explain that Christian community fans those flames when we work together. But why is that so important? Let’s look at some benefits of community in the next section.
Keeping the Flame Alive
Here are some ways a strong Christian community helps our fire of faith grow:
- Support: When people cheer for us, they lift us up, celebrating our successes.
- Energy: We gain insights from others and then help develop new ways to help.
- Safety: A group creates a secure environment that allows for rest and the open discussion of ideas.
- Action: You support one another through hard challenges.
When we try to live out our faith alone, like a single coal from the jiko, we can burn out and lose our source of fire. God views community as essential, describing it as a unified, loving family that reflects His own triune nature. Scripture teaches us that believers are interconnected members of one body who share each other’s burdens, spur one another toward good deeds, and show His love to the world.
We need others to keep our fire burning for Christ.
Community Prayer
Heavenly Father, please guide me and direct me to the right community of Christians that will fan my flame of my faith. Help me build strong and loving friendships. Open my eyes to those around me who need connection. Give me the courage to reach out, share my life, and make deep, meaningful bonds with others. In your name, I pray. Amen.
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Grace and Peace to you,
Yvonne M. Morgan is a Christian #author, #blogger, and #speaker. #BibleGatewayPartner
Matthew 28:19 “Therefore, GO and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
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I enjoy hearing about your travels, Yvonne, and appreciate the lessons you share with us. A fire is dependent on fuel and as you point out, a lone ember doesn’t last long. A great lesson–we need our Lord’s wisdom and guidance as our fuel and we need each other to work together for His kingdom. Thank you for sharing the light and love of Jesus with others.
Thank you Katherine. We all need each other to help fab our flame of faith. I appreciate you.