December 8. When Sparks Are Great.

You have probably heard the phrase, "Where there is smoke, there is fire." But as a leader, our concern might be more for sparks than smoke. We can encourage our teams towards many things.

We can take them to stronger relationships, to a better focus on value and work with better collaboration. But we all need a little help, sometimes a lot of help. Leaders can provide that spark which might take resources and burst them into flame.

Good flames are those that are in places where the heat is created on purpose. Once a fire is started, we can add coal and wood to maintain the heat like an entrepreneur might add capital, systems, team members and other resources to bring more value to the customers of the business.

Where might you spark something for the last of the year? What can you spark right now that might make a significant difference in the year to come? If the leader is not the one to create the sparks, then it may be likely that no one is creating them.  Imagine your team members and resources as a stack of kindling. 

That stack is surrounded by heaps of firewood to provide warmth to the world.  Your value to others has amazing capacity.  The question is, are you as a leader going to be responsible to be accountable for spreading some sparks on purpose this quarter? As Christian brothers and sisters, we are called to be sparks for Christ.

We are to encourage and love one another which can spark the church into action. We can share the word and message of Christ with the lost, which might even start a new flame. Can you recall someone who was on fire for Christ and their passion was obvious? It is possible that someone just like you provided a spark for that person.

We read, “So the LORD sparked the enthusiasm of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the enthusiasm of Jeshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the enthusiasm of the whole remnant of God’s people. They began to work on the house of their God, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies,” Haggai 1:14 NLT.

I think God likes the right kind of sparks. Who has been providing sparks for you in your faith journey? Maybe it would be appropriate to thank them and let them know of your fire. Are there others around you that you might be able to be that spark?

When love seems to be absent and hate seems to be the passion of the day, God’s love is ready to transform the situation.  Will we be accountable to bring the sparks of love where they are needed? There is more than one way to create a spark.  Consider using a lighter that is out of fuel which some might think of as trash. 

 It still has a spark. One might possibly use a flint stone. Our faith has lots of tools that are available to us including prayer, the Bible, and the people of the church. There may not be any better time of year than right now to be a spark. What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days? 

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you are so full of grace, and we thank you for the fire of the Holy Spirit. Let your love for us be the flint by which we might spark others. May the flames of compassion warm others as we share the sparks that you might create in us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Together, Amen