Friday, February 15, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

Playing with Fire

Proverbs 6:27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?

My brother, who is four years older than me, always wanted a little brother. Instead, he got me, a cool little sister! His solution was to treat me like the little brother he never had. We played video games, raced on go-carts, pulled pranks on our older sister, gave Barbie a mohawk, and inevitably got in lots of trouble...ESPECIALLY the time we caught the Christmas tree on fire!

 It was the day after we had undecorated the Christmas tree, and the tree was leaning against our house next to the electrical box. Our mom was inside cooking and we were "playing basketball." My brother, almost a teenager at this point, would light one of the tree branches, light a firecracker from the tree's flame, throw the fire cracker into the air, and then quickly blow out the branch. Seems simple enough right? Wanting to do EVERYTHING like my brother, I tried to mimic the process. However, each step was executed much more slowly as I was much younger. Before we knew it, the entire tree was in flames! Thankfully, our family was able to get the tree away from the house before our entire home was burned down. We were grounded for a LONG time, but in our defense, no one ever specifically told us we couldn't light the tree on fire.

Today's verse reminded me of this childhood memory and also of the frequently quoted phrase, "Don't play with fire." You see, many people, try to see how close they can get to the fire without getting burned. God warns us though that when we do this, inevitably, destruction will follow.

I challenge you today to RUN from that "fire" and into the direction of holiness. Your seemingly harmless actions can very well destroy your life and the lives of others who look up to you. My brother was able to "handle" our Christmas tree/firework routine, and because I was watching him so closely, I thought I could too. There are many habits and activities that are not only unacceptable to God but can truly mislead others as well.

Dear Lord, Forgive me for the times that I did not act responsibly as a Christian, a bearer of YOUR Name. I commit to You to pursue a life of holiness so that I can please You and be a Godly example for those You have entrusted in my life.

I thank You Jesus for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life. In the Name of Jesus I pray.