THE WISE OLD CHEROKEE

February 6, 2019

I once read the story of a wise old Cherokee telling his grandson about a fight that is going on inside himself. He said it is between two wolves. One is evil: Anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, lies, guilt, resentment, inferiority, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good: Joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, 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 replied, “The one I feed.”

In the sixth chapter of Matthew, Jesus ends his discussion of worry about material provisions. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money,” (v. 34 NIV) One’s loyalties must be undivided.

A person can’t feed evil and good; you feed evil and starve good. Or, you starve evil and feed good. No man can serve two masters; you‘re loyal to Jesus, or your loyalty is to the world, but not both.

Earlier in this sixth chapter, Jesus gave His disciples instructions on how to pray. Follow his instructions, and the choice of who serve is easy.

“Therefore, you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power
and the glory forever. Amen.

People who begin their prayers with, “Our father in heaven,” solve the fight between good and evil. As the old Cherokee said, the one you pray to is the one you serve.