This text jumped out at me while I was pilfering through a stack of files on my computer. 

Now they arrested Him and led Him away, and brought Him to the house of the high priest; but Peter was following at a distance. After they kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter was sitting among them. And a slave woman, seeing him as he sat in the firelight, and staring at him, said, “This man was with Him as well.” But he denied it, saying, “I do not know Him, woman!” And a little later, another person saw him and said, “You are one of them too!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” And after about an hour had passed, some other man began to insist, saying, “Certainly this man also was with Him, for he, too, is a Galilean.” But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. And then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had told him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly (Luke 22:54-62). 

It recounts the rather well-known story of Peter’s betrayal. The account should cause some self-reflection. Am I mingling at the wrong fires? 

Perhaps this is the proverbial water cooler. Should I be standing around while smut and filthy jokes are passed around? Should I engage in conversations that are passing gossip or unkindness? Those fires will eventually burn. Perhaps this is the peer pressure of the unbelieving world. That friend or family member, who is not a Christian, who goads you to say or do something that you know you shouldn’t. Stand too close to such a fire and rest assured, you will get burned. 

What if, for the sake of positivity, we were mingling at the right fires? Would the coals of Christ-likeness perhaps rekindle a flame of passion and devotion for King Jesus and King Jesus’s ways? Passion, positivity, and purpose are contagious. The more we warm ourselves by the fire of those who are faithful and valiant for the cause of Christ, the more we will find ourselves focusing on the right things, doing the right things, and sharing the right things. Friend, find the right fire, and go warm yourself up beside those of like precious faith. They need you, and you need them. 

There are endless ways we could apply this principle. Careful consideration, introspection, and examination should be employed. Am I mingling at the wrong fires?