THE WOLVES WITHIN

“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.”  (Philippians 4:8 NIV)

An old grandfather said to his grandson who came in to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story:"

"I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those who have taken so much with no sorrow for what they do; but hate wears you down and does not hurt your enemy. It is like drinking a poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued, "It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm.  He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended.  He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.  But… the other wolf… Ah! The littlest thing will send him into a fit of temper.  He fights everyone, all of the time, for no reason.  He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great.  It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed." 

-- The story of two wolves is a classic fable that is credited to the Cherokee or Lenape people. It is also known as “Which Wolf Do You Feed?”

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PRAYER POSTURE

“I spread out my hands to You; My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.”  (Psalm 143:6 NKJV)

One of my favorite prayer postures I learned from the Quakers. I lead our congregation in this prayer frequently. We begin with hands facing down, symbolizing the things we need to let go of. It involves a process of confessing our sins, rebuking our fears, and relinquishing control. Then we turn our hands over so they are facing up in a posture of receptivity. We actively receive what God wants to give -- joy unspeakable, peace that transcends understanding, and unmerited grace. We receive the fruit and gifts of His Spirit with open hands and open hearts. 

-- Mark Batterson in “The Circle Maker”

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ACCEPTING GOD’S GRACE

God saw our entire lives from beginning to end, birth to hearse, and in spite of what He saw, He was still convinced “to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. And this gave Him great pleasure.” (Ephesians 1:5 NLT)

We can now live “like God’s very own children, adopted into His family -- calling Him ‘Father, dear Father’… And since we are His children, we will share His treasures -- for everything God gives to His Son, Christ, is ours, too.” (Romans 8:15,17 NLT)

It really is this simple. To accept God’s grace is to accept God’s offer to be adopted into His family.

Your identity is not in your possessions, talents, tattoos, kudos, or accomplishments. Nor are you defined by your divorce, deficiencies, debt, or dumb choices. You are God’s child. You get to call Him “Papa.” You “may approach God with freedom and confidence.” (Ephesians 3:12 NIV) You receive the blessings of His special love (1 John 4:9-11) and provision (Luke 11:11-13). And you will inherit the riches of Christ and reign with Him forever (Romans 8:17). 

-- Max Lucado in “Grace: More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine”

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GETTING BACK ON THE RIGHT PATH

The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, a word that means to have a change of heart that results in a change of behavior. Depending upon the nature of the sin, repentance may include strong feelings of remorse, or it may simply be a conviction that the path one had taken was the wrong path, coupled with a determination to live differently in the future.

Repentance begins with my awareness of the gap I have created between myself and God, or myself and the other person. I acknowledge that I have stepped off the path, hurting people and wounding my relationship with God, and I express the remorse I feel. I confess to the other person and do what I can to make amends, I confess to God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness, and I turn back toward the right.

When I do that, God forgives me. It’s not a complicated process. God removes the burden of my sin and I am restored. The Psalmist captures the process in Psalm 32:5. “Then I acknowledged my sin to You and I did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And You forgave the guilt of my sin.” 

-- Adam Hamilton in “Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting Go”

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CHOOSING TO WALK WITH JESUS

Choosing life seems like the reasonable thing to do. If given the choice why would anyone not choose life? It seems foolish to choose anything else, to choose anything less than the best. It remains a mystery to me that we often find ourselves choosing what diminishes life and leaves us less than we were before. But we are often unaware of the consequences of our choices until later, sometimes much later.

Jesus always invites us to choose life by forsaking our way of life for His way of life. It is never an easy choice. Choosing to walk with Jesus in a culture that ridicules faithfulness and glorifies violence is to choose a way with cost attached. When you choose to walk with Jesus in a culture that rewards those who take for themselves before thinking about others, you may wind up feeling someone has taken advantage of you. And yet, as the decades pass and we look back, it is clear to see that those who sought advantage by taking advantage have in reality lost life. Those who chose to walk with Jesus in the hard decisions and in the good times have discovered richness to life beyond price. At times it may seem the cost of choosing life is too high, but when you stop and think about it, choosing life is the only reasonable choice to make. 

-- Rueben P. Job in “A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God”

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