The fires continue to rage in California. It's catastrophic. In fact, if I had to put a dollar amount on how bad it is, I would say at least 13.5 billion dollars. PG&E, a Californian utility company, just agreed to pay this much in a settlement to victims of the latest round of fires. Why? Well, if you zoom out with me, we will take in a larger scope to understand a deeper meaning and maybe even learn something about ourselves in the process.

Let's dive in.

Have you ever tried to make big changes in your life? Ever made a New Year's resolution? We all know how difficult this is. Even small changes to our routine feel like a major inconvenience for weeks. The bigger the goals, the heavier they bear down on you and make you feel overwhelmed. We buy gym memberships only to accumulate a series of line items on our credit card statements.

I'm thinking about this stuff today because it's my birthday. You are probably beginning to shift your mindset into this frame as well. Although I'd love to take credit for your paradigm shift, you're probably not thinking about my birthday. The rest of you are starting to reflect on 2019 and envision a new, better year in 2020. It's a time of renewal and promises to change our lives for the better.

How many of those changes stick? If you're like me, you have a crypt of broken promises from years past. Open only when absolutely necessary, right?

Let's take a quick look at the last century of wildfires in the US. The Big Blowup started in the midwest in 1910 with several smaller fires throughout the rest of the decade. This fire burned for two days devouring millions of acres of timberland in Idaho and Montana. In response the US brought the hammer down on Mother Nature putting the full force of the federal government behind strict fire suppression protocols. Heroic firefighters extinguished every flame from the 1910s all the way into the 60s. But they didn't know that for all their effort to tame the forest they had only poked the bear. And I'm not talking about Smokey the Bear.

In much the same way that wildfires transform a landscape, God demands that we change our hearts and minds to match His. When you choose to follow God, that will spark a fire that will clear a path through the desolation for the ebullient forest of God's love to take root in your life.

“Do not be shaped by this world. Instead be changed within by a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you. And you will be able to know what is good and pleasing to God and what is perfect.”

Romans 12:2 ICB

https://www.bible.com/1359/rom.12.2.icb

Once Godly thinking has transformed you, what then?

“…Take this cup and give it to everyone here. I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until God’s kingdom comes.” Then Jesus took some bread. He thanked God for it, broke it, and gave it to the apostles. Then Jesus said, “This bread is my body that I am giving for you. Do this to remember me.” In the same way, after supper, Jesus took the cup and said, “This cup shows the new agreement that God makes with his people. This new agreement begins with my blood which is poured out for you.”

Luke 22:17-20 ICB

https://www.bible.com/1359/luk.22.17-20.icb

If you worship regularly with the Body of Christ, you will notice that we still take the cup and the bread 2000 years later. I imagine little fires springing up around the globe every week as Christians gather and remember Christ.

Turns out, God engineered the forest to require regular cleaning from these smaller fires. Strict fire control led to an overabundance of dried out fuel in the forest. Stephen J. Pyne, an expert in forest fires, asserts that "…we aren’t suffering from a surplus of bad fires, but actually a famine of good fires." The forest requires regular fires to clear out the debris, make way for new growth, and prevent major calamity in the future.

Would you rather rebuild your spiritual life from scratch every few years or keep a steady pace? While we may make big sweeping declarations of change every new year, we need weekly–or even daily–reminders of our real purpose. Glorify God as we follow Christ.

In the PG&E case, investigators determined that one of their electricity towers, which had been left unmaintained since 2001, began sparking due to neglect which set a fire that killed at least 41 people, destroying the property of thousands more. They just forgot to check up on it. I can’t help but wonder if the fire would have been as destructive if the misguided firefighters hadn't begun their scorched earth policy 100 years ago. We may never know.

We do know that spiritual renewal is essential for our walks with Christ. Just as the forest needs the dead kindling cleared away, we need Jesus to clear distractions from our minds. Unlike PG&E keep up with your maintenance schedule. Don’t set off a wildfire in your life. Be present in this moment. Allow Jesus into your heart to transform your thinking and restore your spirit.

Transform your own mind to transform the world.

“Be like a fire that burns a forest or like flames that blaze through the hills.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭83:14‬ ‭ICB‬‬
https://www.bible.com/1359/psa.83.14.icb

Sources

• https://historynewsnetwork.org/article/173435
• https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-12-07/pg-e-settlement-of-13-5-billion-brings-some-relief-to-california-fire-victims
• International Children's Bible: https://www.tommynelson.com/kids-can-read-the-bible/