Moths and Flames
“I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies … as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable … service and spiritual worship.” (Romans 12:1 Amplified)
It has always intrigued me that moths and other flying bugs are drawn irresistibly to light. Moths, in particular, will fly directly into the flame of a candle, giving their very lives to encounter the light.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we allowed ourselves to be irresistibly drawn to the Light? What would our lives – and the world around us – look like if we gave up everything to trust and live in the Light of the Lord? Unlike the moth, we wouldn’t be destroyed; instead, the flame of the Holy Spirit would fill and empowered us to live life wholeheartedly for God.
Love would be obvious in our lives. We would “‘…love the Lord [our] God with all [our] heart, and with all [our] soul, and with all [our] might .’” (Deuteronomy 6:4.*) The Lord would truly be first in our lives. We would prayerfully seek His leading when making decisions: “How do You want me to handle this Lord?” We would strive to be obedient to our loving Lord (even when no one is looking) and make daily time with Him an absolute priority.
We would truly strive to live humbly, like Jesus.
Not only would we love our neighbor as ourselves, but we would also love ourselves. Not a narcissistic, self-centered, self-serving love, but a love born from the fear and wonder of a pure and holy God who made us and loves us with a consuming, sacrificial, everlasting love – the love that made a way for our sins to be forgiven (at an incomprehensible price). And we would truly “get” that since God forgives us when we make mistakes we should forgive ourselves, not regularly remind ourselves of past failures. We would not allow ourselves to be held captive to the past. And we would not live in fear of the future.
With humility, we would ask forgiveness of those we have offended. We would forgive others even when they don’t ask for forgiveness, don’t believe they have wronged us, or refuse to take responsibility for their actions, actions that may affect our own lives (sometimes profoundly).
As the Lord leads, we would give to those in need with generous hearts.
What would the world – my world – look like if I flew headlong into the Light? If I allowed myself to be consumed by His fire?
*See also Mark 12:30, Matthew 22:37 and Luke 10:27.
