An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there's a battle between two wolves inside us all. One is evil. It's anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies and ego. The other is good. It's joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness and truth."
The boy thought about it and asked:
"Grandfather, which wolf wins?"
The old man quietly replied:
"The one you feed."
-Author unknown
To win, or not to win? This battle within. For a long time I have prayed about the qualities I'd like to develop, bad habits I want to give up, and negative emotions that I would do away with. Most days I am optimistic and grateful for progress, and some days I have to acknowledge that what I thought was progress most resembles a slow crawl toward a finish line that never draws near. Other times, I recognize the flat-out failure of my efforts to match the fervency of my prayers, and I wonder, do I really want the things I say I want? Do I feed the right side? Or am I starving the good inside of me?
If I could just orchestrate my actions to speak louder than my words with some consistency, some reliability, then maybe I wouldn't feel so defeated by those battles in which I surrendered to a gloating enemy; I'd be winning the war.
I know we are more than conquerors but sometimes we need the reminder, because in our insecurities, misconceptions, fears, pride, anger, unforgivingness, and festering wounds of the past, lies a cornucopia of mountainous molehills that amount to mental blocks and reactive triggers. I suspect acknowledgment is the first approach to the spoils of victory.
How else do you win a battle if you don't first come face-to-face with the enemy? Then you'll need the fuel to forge ahead, but you'll have to decide which of these polar opposite mindsets you'll be fueling. The victor will be the one you feed. The good in you was meant to be redeeming, healing and corrective but those other intentions and feelings are the instincts which hastily lead you astray, smother you in confusion, beat you down with regrets and render you blind to the truth.
I once heard someone say, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." I agree. So, I constantly have to remind myself of who I am; not what I do for a living, or what talents I possess, or how people perceive me (or how they treat me), but who I know I am. The only identity that will matter when my life's journey is said and done: I am a child of God, first, foremost, and finally.
How else do you win a battle if you don't first come face-to-face with the enemy? Then you'll need the fuel to forge ahead, but you'll have to decide which of these polar opposite mindsets you'll be fueling. The victor will be the one you feed. The good in you was meant to be redeeming, healing and corrective but those other intentions and feelings are the instincts which hastily lead you astray, smother you in confusion, beat you down with regrets and render you blind to the truth.
I once heard someone say, "We don't see things as they are, we see things as we are." I agree. So, I constantly have to remind myself of who I am; not what I do for a living, or what talents I possess, or how people perceive me (or how they treat me), but who I know I am. The only identity that will matter when my life's journey is said and done: I am a child of God, first, foremost, and finally.
My understanding of that role is the equivalent of a trusted navigator, an anchor. It is outlined in the Word. So, I am feeding that champion I pray to be with the good book He left for me. I am seeking nourishment in His
promises and the perfection of His purposes. It is the only way I am assured to win the war, and I am preparing for that, and more.
Inspiration: Romans 7:22-25
Inspiration: Romans 7:22-25
