Reading: Wildfire Accelerants - Slides

Restoring Relationships
Transforming Justice

Lecture 15

Wildfire Accelerants

Wildfire Accelerants

In this lecture, we consider the attempts we make to extinguish conflict wildfires in our own strength, rather than using God’s power.

Wildfire Accelerants

We often attempt to extinguish wildfires based on what we see happening in the wildfire according to the wisdom of the earthly kingdom.

Wildfire Accelerants

I call these attempts Wildfire Accelerants.

Wildfire Accelerants

I call these attempts Wildfire Accelerants.

Wildfire accelerants can never extinguish a wildfire.

Wildfire Accelerants

I call these attempts Wildfire Accelerants.

Wildfire accelerants can never extinguish a wildfire.

Wildfire accelerants can never please or glorify God, because they originate in our natural desires and the wisdom of this world.

Wildfire Accelerants

Wildfire Accelerants can never bring about the restoration and reconciliation that occurs at the Peacefire.

Wildfire Accelerants

Pride

Revenge

Anger

Lying

Hatred

Fear

Bitterness

Scorn & Mockery

Gossip

Pride

Pride manifests itself in arrogance, self-righteousness and intellectual or spiritual superiority. It over emphasizes truth and under emphasizes mercy.

To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech. Proverbs 8:13

Revenge

Revenge seeks to settle a score, get even, or exact a pound of flesh from someone who wronged us. It exposes a lack of trust in God’s promise to take vengeance on behalf of His people.

Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Romans 12:19

Anger

Anger stirs up strife and does not produce the righteousness that reflects the image of Jesus Christ.

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. James 1:19-20

Lying

Lying can never extinguish a conflict wildfire. Any deceptive peace that a lie might establish will eventually reignite into a more intense conflict when the deceit is exposed.

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Colossians 3:9-10 

Hatred

Hatred is a Wildfire Accelerant that hides. A Conflict Wildfire cannot be extinguished so long as hatred is hidden in the heart.

Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs. Proverbs 10:12

Fear

Fear paralyzes and keeps us from walking by faith. The power of God’s love delivers us from the fear of man and circumstances.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7

Bitterness

When un-forgiveness is harbored during a conflict, it often gives rise to bitterness that causes a conflict wildfire to spread.

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Scorn and Mockery

Scorn and mockery are established by the derision and ridicule of others. They have no place at the Peacefire.

Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended. Proverbs 22:10

Wildfire Accelerants

We are all tempted to use Wildfire Accelerants from time to time.

When we see one in our heart or conduct, confess it to the Lord and ask Him to replace it with the character and attributes that reflect the presence of Jesus Christ in us.

Wildfire Accelerants

We can then replace the thoughts of the shallow wildfire story with Peacefire wisdom.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Phil 4:8

Lecture 15

Wildfire Accelerants are attempts to extinguish Conflict Wildfires using natural responses and worldly wisdom. 

They sometimes provide temporary relief from the intensity of a conflict. 

Wildfire accelerants can never extinguish a Conflict Wildfire in a manner that glorifies Jesus Christ. 

Lecture 15

When a wildfire accelerant is exposed in us, we can ask the Lord to replace the exposed accelerant with the character and attributes of Jesus Christ.