A Cherokee Legend:
An old Cherokee is teaching
his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to
the boy. “It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil — he is anger, envy, sorrow,
regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies,
false pride, superiority, and ego.” He
continued, “The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope serenity,
humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and
faith. The same fight is going on inside
you — and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it
for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply
replied, “The one you feed.”
Remember those New Year resolutions? Last January, across
the country gym memberships increased, fresh fruit and veggies flew off the
shelf. Many vowed that they would greet 2014 with a healthier mind, body
and/or spirit than they started off with the previous year.
Then came February.
A few actually made
some positive changes; However the majority of us stopped going to the gym by February. We eventually threw all that fresh food in the garbage because it
started to rot or attract fruit flies. If that describes you, don't worry. It does not mean that you are unnaturally
weak. It does not mean that you are
doomed to failure. It just means that
you are human.
It's easy to start something
new. You begin with a full belly of chocolate-covered
enthusiasm with hope chasers. Soon,
however, as the “newness” begins to fade
(and the grind begins) that once, full belly starts to rumble. We find that we devoured all of our dessert
-- that yummy enthusiasm that tasted so
good. Now we have the choice to eat dinner.
Though dinner is full of the vitamins and nutrients we need to make us
feel good in earnest, it doesn’t give us
that immediate sugar high. It may be
tasty, but no matter how it’s prepared,
it’s still dinner. Not candy.
Paul said, “when I was a
child I spoke as a child, I talked like a child, I understood as a child. But when I became a man I put away childish
things.” Children will eat a diet of
dessert and live a life of sugar highs and lows if not taught differently. Adults know better.
Whenever we begin something that requires change,
conventional wisdom says that most of us will fail. Whether that change involves stopping an
unhealthy habit such as smoking, worrying, or over-eating, or beginning a
healthy one such as exercise, daily bible reading or eating more veggies, we
seem to be divided between what is good
and what is comfortable. Two hungry
wolves with voracious appetites. For
each of us those wolves may take different shapes, but they are present in all
of us — flesh vs. spirit. One wants temporary highs that feel good but have no
sustenance, the other is hungry for real food that will fill his belly and his
spirit.
Nothing precious comes easy. You have to trudge through a lot of dark
mines and beat a lot of rocks before you find the smallest diamond. Likewise, you have to trudge through a lot of
barriers to change old habits. That
tired wolf, that busy-with-life wolf, that “I’m uncomfortable” wolf will howl
with hunger for your thoughts and your actions.
But there is a wolf that is equally hungry. The one who is hungry for victory.
Which one will you feed?
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever
is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is
anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
