How important are "on-fire" relationships?

Not too long ago, we tore an ugly deck off the back of our home.  In its place went a stone patio that helped the back of our house -- exposed to a major road in our town - to look like we "meant it."

My favorite feature of the stone patio is the fire pit.  Few things I enjoy more than building a tee-pee style fire with dry wood, and watching the flames for an hour in the cool of a darkening evening.  Something about burning logs fully aflame, each leaning into each other making the whole fire have a greater light and warmth.

In the course of the fire's life, as the wood is consummed, at times the structure of the logs falters, and  one of the burning pieces falls away, down on the side of the fire...and within short minutes, its flame is gone and the charred sides are growing cold.

No ember stays aflame on its own.  Each log needs both enough oxygen and other combustible pieces to keep the fire a-burning bright and hot.

FOSTERING ON-FIRE RELATIONSHIPS

One thoughtful dad texted this question to me during a recent worship-service teaching:  "How can we foster those daily sharpening relationships if other people in our church fellowship are not involved daily with us?"

This is an important question, one that internally expresses the core dilemma.  To use the fire-pit picture, the flame of personal spiritual fire happens when logs lean together and a greater Someone sets them on fire.

Two factors must be present.  One is Someone to light the flame - and undoubtably, that is The Lord Himself, through His Spirit and His Word.  A second is the intentionality of the logs to lean together...on a regular basis.

PRACTICALLY SPEAKING...

I believe The Lord is ready and willing to light the fire.  We have his call to "lean together regularly," to get together  often enough in a posture where He can light the flame among us.  Very practically, this means being intentional about getting together with others (e.g., from a church fellowship) of a similar passion and mind, in order to listen to The Lord in that relationship and encourage one another in being spiritually aflame.

One couple can invite two or three other couples to a regular meeting for these purposes.  Families could gather together monthly for fun and spiritual encouragement and accountability.  Individuals can call others to such a group.

The question has its own answer.  Taking initiative to be together and to burn brightly together can have incredible benefits.  The Lord is always ready to light the flame.  He just needs the logs to decide to lean together in regular rhythms of interaction, prayer, and encouragement.

There's nothing like "on fire" relationships.