WEEK ONE: HOT ONES

Summer is a great time for cookouts, and chicken wings always seem to be a hit at picnics and barbecues. But not everyone can handle the heat when spicy sauces or dry rubs are added to the chicken… which is exactly what we get to see on the online interview show “Hot Ones.” We’re all familiar with talk shows where celebrities make an appearance to promote their new movie or project, but the creators of this show went a step further and thought to themselves, “What would happen if we asked questions to the biggest stars in the entertainment industry about their upcoming film or album while making them eat progressively hotter wings on camera?” The answer to that question is that we as the viewers get to see a more real, raw, and honest version of these celebrities—because it is almost impossible to keep up a professional demeanor when your throat feels like it’s on fire and you have tears running down your face!

While this concept is hilarious and amusing, I think the reason so many people enjoy watching it is because it is refreshing to realize that we all have more in common than we realize; we all tend to react strongly when faced with a high-pressure situation. While spicy sauces may not be as painful as many of the challenges that we face in real life, I think we can all relate to the feeling of being “under fire.”

In the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we find devoted and faithful men of God facing an impossible situation: will they bow down to the king’s statue, or will they remain steadfast and loyal to the one true God, knowing that the punishment would be execution by fire? The courage and bravery of these men led to a miraculous rescue, but sometimes in our lives we do end up going through the fire… and often we feel the heat and the pain and there’s no way to avoid it.

The good news is that, when we have God walking with us through these situations, we can come out the other side stronger than before. A sequoia seed can only grow into a mighty tree if it first survives the heat, smoke, and ash from a devastating forest fire. In a similar way, God can take our challenges and help us to grow mentally, relationally, and spiritually stronger if we courageously trust in God and remember that he is with us no matter what fires we face.