For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:29
What consumes you? Whatever it is that is your god even if it is for the short term. For example my wife is turning 50 in a few weeks, and she is planning her birthday party, doing everything, making it to be the social event of the year. Kind of a normal thing for her, she likes that kind of stuff.
But the problem is almost everything else in her life suffers from it. She gets so involved in it that there is no time for much else. In this case it is even more true because she is having it at our home and redoing the federal zone (an oceanfront area) to her liking for it. So she is really taking on two jobs at once. We hardly see her these days. I cannot imagine what she will be like when our kids get married?
God expects us to serve him and he is to be our consuming fire, where we really get into it like my wife does with her events. But the difference is when we serve God and allow his all consuming fire to take us over, it is still while living out an ordinary life. Because with God it is a way of life, a simple life. It is just lived in a much better way when we choose to allow his all consuming fire to be the guide. When we make it our life’s mission to hear and obey him.
Earlier in verse 25 it says “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks.” So all this leads up to consuming fire. You cannot know and understand the consuming fire without knowing (hearing and obeying) God.
With knowing God, we serve him, but in doing so we also serve others, doing things for others. This is not about giving all your money to the poor or something similar, it is about living your life in righteousness where everybody wins. The problem becomes the other people do not like you practicing righteousness, really for two reasons. First because they want more than what is right. Second because they feel condemned when you start doing what is right and they are still practicing what is wrong like you used to with them.
But the main point is what is consuming you? God or something else?