The Official Writing Challenge
BACK TO
CHALLENGE
MAIN
INSTRUCTIONS
how it works
submission rules
guidelines for
choosing a level
ENTRIES
submit your entry
read current entries
read past entries
challenge winners
Our Daily Devotional HERE
Place it on your site or
receive it daily by email.


TRUST JESUS TODAY

  • Share
  • how it works
  • Submit
Previous Challenge Entry (Level 1 – Beginner)
Topic: Fire-fighter (10/05/06)
Firefighters are some of the most brave and self-sacrificing people on planet earth. For the sake of buildings, homes, people and their treasures, they ransom the only bodies they possess. They lose sleep, suffer hunger and thirst; parch, bruise, and roast their own flesh in the fire of honor and duty.

What makes them do it? I have often wondered what driving force can make a man or woman leave their comfort zone to do battle in a long exhausting war against fire destruction. What makes them elect as their own the battlefield of such "dis"-comfort?

My only conclusion has been
that along with the satisfaction they must feel in gratitude they receive from those they rescue, theirs must be a special calling. For they give that most precious of gifts that Jesus spoke about when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friend.”

And firefighters lay down theirs even for strangers.

But the parallel that comes to mind, not a new one, is that of the spiritual firefighter. Spiritual firefighters such as missionaries are, also lay it all down; they too are known for their courage, self-sacrifice, and lives of hardship.

Yet missionaries differ from common firefighters in their overall, long-range objective. While an earthly firefighter risks what he or she can see, for the same; a kingdom firefighter hazards for that which he or she cannot see. One for the transitory, the other for the eternal.

And why, again, do they do it? It too is for love’s sake, but it is a different kind of love, more than marginally greater than mere humans can drum up. For it is that which flows down from above from the Father of Lights. The All Consuming Fire, the One whom no firefighter can ever extinguish sends His agape love.

And not just for the front-line kingdom firefighters and those to whom they minister does He give it. It is a power sent for the backup gladiators, warring on their knees in the home trench.

I pray that we are.

"That honor, we ask Lord, You may grant us. May the All-Consuming One light a good fire in us - and may He keep it ever burning."
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE

JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
This article has been read 1241 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Sara Harricharan
10/12/06
Excellent comparison in spiritual fire-fighters and regular ones. Good job.
Jan Ackerson
10/13/06
Excellent analogy, well presented.
Donna Powers
10/14/06
Very nicely done! Your comparison was clear and well documented. Good work.
Catrina Bradley
10/17/06
Very nice job describing the firefighter's sacrifice. Good use of scripture with "Greater love has no man." I'm bit confused by the phrase " for the same" in the 6th paragraph? Could just be me.:) I loved this line: "It is a power sent for the backup gladiators, warring on their knees in the home trench."
Jacquelyn Horne
05/29/07
Very good article. Wonderful pov. Good job.