Have Your Fire Extinguishers Ready

“So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.” (Matt. 10:26-27 NIV)

My family of six recently moved to a home with more much-needed space. In our previous home, we were on top of each other quite a bit. One of my biggest frustrations was my small kitchen. At times, I felt very limited in what I could do in the kitchen because of the lack of space. Counter space was so limited that our microwave lived in the basement. I often would take a dish out of the oven and hold it in my hand, wondering where to set it down. Our dining table was a stone’s throw away from the stove, and while sitting at the table, you could see every inch of the kitchen. It was quaint.

One night shortly after we moved in, I decided to be healthy and pass on the pizza I had ordered for my family to eat. I rushed to make myself some scrambled eggs so I could sit in the dining room with them. Our new home has a breakfast nook, but we choose to eat as a family in the formal dining room. Why be cramped in the breakfast nook area when we have plenty of space in the dining room? The dining room is a separate room with no view of the kitchen. It’s nice to enjoy a meal without looking at the dinnertime chaos of our kitchen.

After I had been sitting down a few minutes, my daughter looked toward the opening to the kitchen and said, “What’s that smoke coming from?”

My husband and I jumped up and ran into the kitchen. Sure enough, I had left the burner on with the spatula in the pan on top of it. The rubber spatula had caught fire and was burning. This was only our third day in our new home, and I had already started a fire. Thankfully, my husband had just bought new fire extinguishers. They hadn’t even been opened yet. My husband moved swiftly, and the fire was soon extinguished. No damage had occurred except to the spatula and pan, and I had to clean my just-cleaned cabinet doors.

It made me realize how quickly a fire can start when something is out of sight. In our previous house, we had a gas stove, and since our stove was in view of our dining table, we always could see if I’d left a burner on. In our new home, we have an electric stove which isn’t as obvious, and we eat in a different room. A fire could start and grow much more easily since we can’t see the stove.

My spatula didn’t catch fire the minute I turned my back. It got hot first, which took a couple of minutes. Then one little area caught flame, and then the rest of the spatula caught fire. If my daughter hadn’t seen the smoke, the fire would have spread to the cabinets. I don’t even want to think about what would have happened next.

I think sin is a lot like my burning spatula. It usually starts small. It festers, gets hot, and then sparks. If we’re not careful and paying attention, it catches fire.

The Bible talks about our sin being in darkness and how we need to expose it to the light. When we don’t address our sin, it will grow, much like a fire.

Scripture for Reflection

Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Eph. 5:11 NIV)

For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. (Mark 4:22 NIV)

He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light. (Job 12:22 NIV)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16 NIV)

Dear heavenly Father, we thank you that you are our light in a world full of darkness. Help us to shine a light on areas of our lives where we need to expose sin and bring things out into the open. Lord, where there is festering in us, help us to extinguish it before it begins to flame. Help us also to be bold in confessing our sins to one another and to pray for our fellow brothers and sisters to walk in your light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Reach for More

I don’t know what you need to bring into the light today, but whatever it is, don’t let the devil gain a foothold. Shine the light. Expose the ugly. Whether it is a little sin that is starting to get really hot or a bigger sin that has started to flame, grab your fire extinguisher and put it out. Confess it to the Lord and ask for his forgiveness. Confess it to others, so they can pray for you and come alongside you. We are all sinners, so let’s help each other and be light shiners and fire extinguishers.

Heather Gerwing is living the full life with her husband, Jeff, four kids, and a dog in Metro Detroit. Heather enjoys reading, writing, coffee-ing, and serving in youth ministry. She was born a Jersey girl and feels most at home on a beach. She is the host of the monthly link-up, Share Four Somethings. You can join Heather on the journey to living the full life at www.heathergerwing.com.

Photograph © Cullan Smith used with permission