There are two wolves inside us all.
At least, according to an old Cherokee tale.
I've heard this story many times, and every time it makes me question the way my thoughts and feelings affect, or feed, my mind and heart.
This past Sunday at my church, Bro. Joe Myers opened his thoughts with this story.
The story goes:
One evening an old Cherokee Indian told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said,
‘My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, lies, false pride, and ego.
The other is good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith.’
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’
The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one you feed.’
I know- it really punches you in the face.
We're all human, and we all struggle with many things every single day. It's a battle every day to wake up and decide, "No I will not be jealous. I will not be self-conscious. I will not be an angry, regretful, self-pitying person."
It is never easy to walk into a negative situation and think to yourself oh well, I'm just not going to get upset, and it is MUCH easier said than done.
For me, it can be nearly impossible. I can be very short-tempered, moody, and vengeful if I do not try to remind myself to "feed the right wolf." Ask my fiancé, bless his (very patient) heart.
More often than not, my good wolf is neglected, and if you could see it most days, it looks very malnourished.
So where do you get the food for the good wolf?
I've heard the story before and thought to myself that I could fix the problem simply by reminding myself to not be jealous, not be angry, not be envious or arrogant.
However, as real-life situations confronted me, I found those words fly straight out the window.
Hearing Bro. Joe Myers speak on the story in church, I realized there is only one place to find the kind of "food" I needed to fuel my "good wolf," and that is the Bible.
Here are 22 verses to help you feed your good wolf.
Joy
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."
Romans 15:13
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy."
John 16:20
Peace
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
-John 14:27
"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."
-John 16:33
Love
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
-Romans 8:38-39
"With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love"
-Ephesians 4:2
Hope
"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."
-Jeremiah 17:7
"Which HOPE we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil."
-Hebrews 6:19
Humility
"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."
-2 Chronicles 7:14
"Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud."
-Proverbs 16:19
Kindness
"She opened her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."
-Proverbs 31:26
"And be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."
-Ephesians 4:32
Empathy
"Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
-Galations 6:2
"Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth."
-1 Corinthians 10:24
Generosity
"I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give then to receive."
-Acts 20:35
"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver."
-2 Corinthians 9:7
Truth
"My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."
-1 John 3:18
"These are the things ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgement of truth and peace in your gates."
-Zechariah 8:16
Compassion
"Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgement, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother."
-Zechariah 7:9
"He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the Lord is gracious and full of compassion."
-Psalm 111:4
Faith
And Jesus to them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
-Matthew 17:20
"That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God."
-1 Corinthians 2:5
No matter where today takes you, there is an answer for your emotions, feelings, and concerns.
Remember, there may be times that your "wolves" are raging in war, but with assurance from God through His scripture, you can keep your "good wolf" well fed, and be confident in which will win.
