Is the Heat on?
So far, it has been a relatively mild summer (in my opinion). East Texas has not had the scorching weather of Central and West Texas. My mother reported to me temperatures as high as 108 this summer where she lives, but as I am writing this in the middle of August, there is still time for it to get hotter. September can be brutal in Northeast Texas.
Heat, however, can be a valuable thing when used properly. I like to eat a hot meal occasionally. Without heat, all my meals would be cold, and my coffee. Heat is especially useful in the wintertime so that we can maintain a comfortable body temperature when it is cold outside. And just about all metal devices we use are the product of directed heat.
As a metaphor, heat occurs when we either place ourselves or find ourselves in difficult circumstances. Gavin and I have been getting ready for football season by walking and jogging in the afternoon sun. It is hot, but we want to be acclimatized to the weather in which we will be working/playing. This exposure (in a controlled way) is good for us physically and morally. It teaches us patience, hard work, discipline, and self-control.
The Bible speaks about the heat Christians undergo so that they may be improved. Peter wrote, “that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:7). God wants our faith to be genuine, and passing through fiery trials proves it to be so. We have had quite our share of trials this past summer. Has our faith held up?