Two Wolves

        I remember a bulletin that we had in church one week. On the front of the bulletin was a picture of two wolves and a Cherokee proverb. The saying goes like this: "There is a Battle of Two Wolves Inside Us All. One is evil. It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority and ego. The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy and truth. The wolf that wins? The one you feed." And it is so true! So many of us have those two opposing 'wolves' who dwell inside of us. It might be the wolves who represent the two views we may have of ourselves. Or the two wolves who represent our struggles with an addiction. Or maybe the two wolves who represent our efforts to be in the world and not of the world.
        I spent some time thinking about this the other day. I wonder how many people have these wolves who are doing constant battle in their hearts? How many of us have spent years 'feeding'...or allowing to be fed, the 'bad' wolf? The wolf that is our poor self-image, or our giving into temptation, or our allowing ourselves to conform to the world's values instead of GOD's. How often those wolves gorge themselves like a king at an endless banquet, stuffing themselves with the lies, fears and doubts that can bring us to our knees? And the good wolf, the one who is the truth that we are beloved, cherished, forgiven children of a mighty GOD, the one who is our strength to turn from temptation and to stand strong in our beliefs... the poor little wolf who hungrily gobbles up anything and everything he can. How we need to learn to feed him! To put him on a steady diet of love, and truth, and honest encouragement. Every time we feed him, we starve his wretched counterpart. Every time we give him a morsel of truth, we deny that 'bad' wolf the sustenance he needs to continue his reign of lies against us.
       I pray that anyone reading this has a fat and happy 'good' wolf, and that the 'bad' wolf is but a shadow far back, so far that you can barely see it. I pray that we all learn to nurture and nourish our 'good' wolves, and learn that is in fact ok to starve that bad wolf... and send it packing!!!

Heavenly Father, please help us to send our 'bad' wolves packing. Please help us to see our lives, and ourselves, in the truth of your love. Thank You for being our strength. In JESUS' name. Amen