Once we have refreshed our vision for the road ahead, we must also rekindle or refresh our fire. To refresh your fire is to strengthen what remains to ensure that your foundation remains sturdy and will be able to sustain you for the long haul. Through the process of tempering, steel and other metals are put into intense heat where they are purified and strengthened. As the heat is applied, the impurities come to the surface and are removed leaving a pure metal. Interestingly, the hardness of the metal is reduced through the fire; however, its flexibility under pressure, or ductility, is increased. This causes the overall strength and versatility to rise. It will bend in the face of adversity, but it will not break. There are times in our lives when we go through fires and pressures that are anything but comfortable. Whether it is a physical ailment, financial hardship, relational challenge, or spiritual dryness, these times test the very core of our personhood. The fire brings the impurities to the surface, but each of us must choose to remove them from our life. The fire breaks down our own hardness, but there is strength in learning to be flexible. Although these “fires” are not desirable, when we submit our life to the will of the Holy Spirit, they begin to expose the impurities in our life, reduce our “hardness,” and give us strength and flexibility for the purpose that God has for our life. We too will bend in the face of adversity, but we will not break. Maybe your fire has been stoked or smothered. Maybe your coals are still red hot, or maybe they are starting to cool down. Wherever you are in your journey, it isn’t too late to add kindling, and revitalize the fire inside of you. Don’t give up. Instead, strengthen what remains, and watch your fire grow.