Tuesday evening of this week I was privileged enough to have the opportunity to attend an event at Abilene Christian University called Candlelight Devo, a tradition that takes place every year on the campus of ACU during what is called Welcome Week, which is comparable to Texas A&M's Gig 'Em week for all of you aggies out there and is basically an eventful week directed toward freshman and new students with the intention of making the students feel welcome and informed about the school. Being a junior who has by this point learned a lot of the ins and outs of the college experience, I've been choosy of which events and sessions I've attended, as some seem to be beneficial while others are directed more toward freshman. Future Career Session? Sounds great. Intramural volleyball? No thanks. Also contributing to my decisions on whether or not to submerge myself in the chaos of Welcome Week is the fact that I am here for my studies and expect them to consume much of my time, and as far as other commitments go, my schedule already includes a bible study and a job (newly acquired-blessings upon blessings!). School has hardly begun, and I've already committed to several communities and priorities, so you can see why I'm not exactly all for spending my week looking into the various organizations and having fliers and the like sprinkled all around me like suggestive confetti of what or what not to join. I'm most certainly not closed to the Lord having unforeseen plans, and He can (and will) most definitely shake my schedule up however He pleases, but all of my commitments are ones that have been taken on in prayer and wisdom-and words cannot begin to express my excitement for what all the future holds. That may explain why I'm not keen on looking into joining much else.
Anyway, the traditional candlelight devotional was recommended by many, and I didn't have any other plans for the evening, so I decided to attend. In addition, I am transferring from a school absolutely rooted in tradition (whoop!), so part of me was curious as to how ACU incorporated that into their atmosphere.
The experience was beautiful, to say the least. All of us new students-freshman and transfer-were herded into the gym where we had a lovely time of worship and were welcomed to the campus. Then, as we filed out of the room, we were each given a candle, though it was not lit. As we walked out of the double doors of the building we had been in, current students and faculty of ACU were lined on both sides of the sidewalk, each person holding a lit candle of their own. This not only looked beautiful but it sounded so, too, as every person was singing songs of praise. Much like a bride glides down an isle, all of us students walked the lit path in a stunned stupor-very much aware of everyone's gaze upon us (or at least, that's how I felt)-until we arrived at the on-campus amphitheater where we filled it up and took a seat. At this point, all of us students had joined in with the singing, and then came the moment when the last student took his seat. A faculty member lit his candle, and he passed it down until every one in the stadium was lit. We then heard scripture read aloud and a message was given to us. The entire experience made me feel welcome, showed a traditional spirit of the school, and most importantly seemed to form a unity among believers-among witnesses-that made a statement of what, as a whole, ACU stands for: God, Yahweh, Jesus Christ. It was a glorious event.
Much of what was spoken stuck with me and the welcoming is appreciated greatly. However, as I was sitting and holding my candle by the stem, it occurred to me that another (perhaps unintentional) lesson was being represented: self-control.
Each candlestick pierced through a plastic cup that held the dripping wax, and as I wrapped my hands 'round the cup, I thought about how in the moment, the fire was good. It was contained, in the proper context, and it was representative of good themes and concepts: a welcoming spirit, unity, fellowship, and the like. However, it would be too easy for the fire to become out of hand, resulting in it being bad. All it would take would be for one person to accidentally drop their candle, and all of a sudden the flames would spread, consuming everything in it's path.
Fire is probably one of the best metaphors for so much in life.
The examples are endless, I believe. There is so much-so many actions and objects and concepts-that can be very good. However, all of those examples can turn bad when a lack of self-control exists and the once small contained campfire spreads and transforms into a massive wildfire.
An example that comes to mind is speech. Words contain such potential. They can turn a person's day completely around-in more ways than one. Think about when you receive a compliment. Your entire day perks up, doesn't it? On the other hand, one hurtful rumor, one offhand comment, or one mean word can reduce you to a puddle of tears. James chapter five describes the tongue as, '...a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body' (v. 6). The tongue can set our whole lives on fire, but if self-control is brought into the equation, it can also produce well-springs of life. One of my favorite quotes from an interview by Maya Angelou is,
'Those negative words climb into the woodwork and into the furniture, and the next thing you know they’ll be on my skin.'
Whoever said that sticks and stones may break bones but words can never hurt was dead wrong. Words can burn the entire building down! What comes out of our mouths is of greater importance than I think we acknowledge. However, with a bit of grace (thank you, Lord!) and intentional self-control, I believe each of us can take steps to control that part of ourselves. James compares taming the tongue to bridling a horse. If a bit is inside the giant animal's mouth, the entire mammal can be controlled. Likewise, learning to control our tongues can change our entire lives. What we say is reflective of what is in our hearts. Each day I want to strive for my heart to be after the fruits of the spirit, one of them being self-control, for if that is where my heart is, then my words and actions shall be there, too.
A larger, more general example is sin. Oftentimes we convince ourselves that an action or word is okay. It's just a small lie. It's just (insert action) this one time. It's just (insert fear)-it's not a big deal. Tomorrow will be different. Next time I will choose the right way.
Tomorrow can be different, but if we allow sin to exist without acknowledgement, it can grow and fester into a problem that we don't want to deal with. Too easily can a sin that began as a small flame spread into an all consuming fire-a deadly fire. To completely put out a flame, we must address the root of it: temptation. This tool of Satan and inherent part of ourselves is a tricky device. The best way I've ever heard temptation described is from a book called, 'This Changes Everything: Lessons From James', by one of my favorite speakers and authors Ben Stuart. He puts it in such a way that is truly captivating and visual:
'Temptation does not usually come like a single crashing wave but like the steady pull of an undertow. You don't even realize it has you until you are miles down shore, and it's pulling you out to sea'.
Temptation is persistent. It's strong. We need to be aware of it and we need to take action to defeat it. Really, this calls for a post of it's own, and one will come soon, but for now I end here.
When flames of this world spark, we must do our best to put them out before our entire lives go up in smoke. Some days we will have victory. Other days we will not. When actions overcome me, I will rest in confession and repentance. When words fail me-because they indeed will-I will sink deeper into His grace.
I'll allow God to dust me off, pick me back up, and-holding His hand the whole way-encourage me to try again.
