“For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” (Galatians 5:17)
We hear it from all of our physicians at almost every office visit, “You need to be exercising more.” Without a doubt, walking is perhaps the best and most efficient way to get moving … to enhance your health and well-being … and to arrive at a healthier place.
Running never was to my liking! In fact, it could be safely said that with only a few exceptions, “Fairchilds are not runners!”
The Bible teaches with much regularity about our “walking” in this life. The application has to do with the way and manner in which we are choosing to live. Each of us, if we are honest with ourselves, understands more than we would really like to admit that the struggle in choosing the right way over the wrong way is just that!
In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul refers to ways of living our lives … “by the works of the flesh or by “the fruits of the Spirit.” When we try to satisfy ourselves rather than being satisfied “in Christ Jesus” … we have allowed our enemy to move in to one or more areas of our heart and reside there for as long as we choose to have him as a guest!
There is an old Cherokee legend that many of us have seen, read and hopefully given some thought too. Today is a good time to take a look at this story again … and to do so with the intent of making better choices … or as the title suggest … feeding one or the other!
Two Wolves …
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.”
Being a Christian was never likened to something that would be easy. It is not as one person said, “for sissies or girlie-men!” Being a Christian is being the man or woman, young or old … who is willing to be counted among God’s people … soldiers in His army … citizens of His Kingdom … and family members of the “household of God.”
There is much to discourage a child of God today! There always has been … there always will be! The Bible’s answer to discouragement … to disappointment …to any sense of feeling alone or without much hope to succeed … is to “walk in the Spirit” with Jesus Christ living in and through us! We cannot be successful by ourselves!
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)
So, which wolf are you feeding today? You do have a choice …
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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