Has Smokey the Bear Left the Building?

[HKHaugan]

Has Smokey the Bear Left the Building?

Remember Smokey the Bear? “Only you can prevent forest fires!” That's on signs you see when you enter public forests. Note how that touches you in the mind and heart individually. That's the point. What you do in the forest is an individual thought, decision and action. It goes beyond the group you're with. It's you and what you as an individual do right where you are. If you carry that warning with you, you will consider how you use anything that can cause a fire. It's a fundamental. To make a play on words you need a fund to keep you mentally alert. We need the training of our mind in practical reasoning for everything we do. Why not get a mental to keep our minds alert to prevent mental fires?

By the same token, considering the insecurity of human health, everyone needs a physical once a year to put out physical fires. And, it follows, considering the insecurity in the world of self-centered fallen humanity our primary need is to have a spiritual, probably more often, like say, everyday. I know you've had a physical. When was the last time you had a spiritual to put out spiritual fires?

When Clint Eastwood said in the movie Dirty Harry “…A man’s got to know his limitations…” he probably didn’t realize that was a very biblical truth. Man has limited intellect, limited physical ability, limited emotional ability and limited relational ability. Most of all He has limited spirituality. The foundational problem is that he is spiritually limited by sin and its self-centeredness, which is the limitation that causes all fires; physical, mental, emotional and spiritual fires. When we recognize that fact and receive Jesus as Lord, He introduces us to a limitless spiritual fire preventative as well as a fire extinguisher. Let’s look at that.

If we are talking about getting a spiritual diagnosis, that involves several things. Like our physicals and mentals, we need a doctor, a thorough workup, prescriptive behavior and, if something is out of order, the follow-up means to correct the disorder. That handles those fires. Some of the givens we know already:

First, everyone has a problem called sin, a very basic disorder that disorients the mind, causes the heart to fear and the spirit to withdraw, the fuel awaiting a spark. Its primary internal symptom is self-centeredness. That's the spark.

Second, sin leads to a host of other internal issues like pride, fear, loneliness, need for relationships and the constant desire to avoid physical and emotional pain; the dry kindling wood of the heart.

Third, we have internal antennas that pick up signals like rejection, hostility, anger, sadness and you can add to the list, combustibles ready to light. Our mind is constantly having to process the way we react to circumstance in our aloneness. Given that truth there is only one ongoing remedy and that is the relationship Jesus offers us with Him. “Only Jesus can prevent forest fires!”

There are three dimensions to our human consciousness: mind, heart and spirit. Each needs remedial help because each can be lit in the moment of heated exchanges. Sin has thrown them out of the balance that was intended for them. They need to be rebalanced with preventative coverings. For the mind we have Scripture. For the heart we have sharing prayer in Jesus with brothers and sisters in the Body. For the spirit we have the Holy Spirit for our companion and guide.

First, the mind. While the mind can be trained to absorb a certain amount of world knowledge, that kind of knowledge is limited, obviously useful but limited. No one can know everything, think perfectly, reason perfectly, conclude perfectly or even be assured that they can handle what their mind faces. The mind needs to be secured. The mind needs a mind that is perfect. The imperfect mind is cluttered with emotional conclusions, flawed reasoning and the meandering imperfections of others. That's why we turn to Scripture. It handles mental fires.

Second, the heart. Here is where we find the tender center of the individual. Here is the seat of emotion, pondering, choosing and deciding. Here is where we process what the mind believes. Here is where we process character, integrity, love, faith, belief, trust, therefore, the most vulnerable part of our being. The heart needs to be secured. The heart needs nurture on a regular level. We need the heart of Jesus. This is why we find a small group of believers with whom we can be open and honest. We know that wherever two or three are gathered together He is there in our midst. He prevents heart fires.

Third, the spirit. Everyone has a personal spiritual nature; the ‘I am’ made in the image of God. Our spirit is where the action is. It is where we step out of our mind and heart into open expression through our body. It is working out our eternal identity before God in the presence of others. Where our mind and heart work the spirit puts into action. The spirit without God is like a lonely leaf blowing in a Fall wind. The soul needs to be secured. The spirit needs to learn to step out in faith. It is those steps that build confidence and spread the truth about Jesus. We need to pray to be conscious of His presence, look for His guidance and be alert for His direction. This is where we build our witness and testimony. The Holy Spirit is the back fire that neutralizes anti-Christ spirit fires.

But there is a fork in the road here. As believers we may learn to think together, we may learn to pray together but when it comes to stepping out in faith only you and I can do that. The fork in the road is when we are alone in any setting whether in the comfort of like minded brothers and sisters or in among strangers and a decision has to be made as to what we say or how we act. That is when our spirit is called to step out in faith. That's when faith kicks in. Our witness can only be done individually. We are the ones on the fire line.

Our witness and testimony are the measure of our treasure and its pleasure. It's our belief and trust that got us there. Keep in mind the Holy Spirit is always present. It's easy for us to stay in the first two, the mind and heart. It's the third one, our spirit, that tests our metal and our 'metal' is our heart in the decision factory between what our mind believes and our what our spirit acts out in faith. It's not until we take up our cross, which is our faith, and step out with what we believe and who we trust, that we are really disciples. Faith is the cover that allows us to walk into a fire, take the heat, witness to those who are trapped and bring them out.

Obviously, we are lost for words when it comes to describing these inner realities. Jesus spoke in parables to get to that part of us where the fires of life overrun us. We need to do the same to get to the hearts of others. Apart from God man pursues the extension of his material self to satisfy his inner longings. Until we allow God a place in our consciousness we can only come to the depressing conclusion of the writer of Ecclesiastes: “"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless." (1:2).” That void pretty well sums up mankind without God in the forest fires of evil.

It is into this void of mind, heart and spirit that Jesus comes to give the mind a new intellectual context to ponder, to give the heart a perfect relational security and the spirit its true identity in action. What Jesus has done is to free us from the bondage of worldly intellect, free us from the fear of a lonely heart and free us from our desperate spirit ‘living for the moment’ lifestyle resulting from not knowing who, what and why we are here. Who could possibly say they don't need a frequent spiritual? I know I do.

“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you (Mt.6:33).” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Mt.22:37-40).” “Come unto me all who are heavy laden and I will give you rest (Mt.11:28).”

Just from these inviting words of Jesus alone comes a spiritual challenge to open the mind, heart and spirit to the stimulation of the Spirit. He encourages any mind, heart and soul to ponder who He is and challenge what He says. He will bring His Spirit to bear because of the love He carries in His heart for everyone. Is it time for a spiritual?

You see, in the final analysis---”Only you can prevent forest fires!”

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