One Simple way to make a choice to be good everyday

Once upon a time, an old Cherokee was sitting with his grandson under a tree. As they watched the sunset, the grandfather began to teach his grandson about life.

“Listen closely, my child,” he began. “There is a great battle that takes place inside each of us. It is a battle between two wolves – one is evil, and the other is good.”

The grandfather went on to describe the evil wolf, whose traits included anger, envy, greed, and ego. He also described the good wolf, who embodied joy, peace, love, and hope.

The grandson listened intently and then asked, “But Grandfather, which wolf will win the battle?”

The old Cherokee smiled and replied, “The wolf that wins is the one you feed. The one you choose to nourish and nurture is the one that will thrive within you.”

The young boy pondered this for a moment, realizing the profound truth of his grandfather’s words. From that day forward, he resolved to feed the good wolf within him and starve the evil one.

Every day, we make a choice on which nature to feed, and it is gradually determining the outcome of our lives. We can choose to focus on negative emotions and actions, or we can choose to nourish positive ones. It is up to us to decide which wolf we will feed, and that decision will determine the course of our lives.

This story has a very interesting similarity to insights gleaned from the book of Galatians.

Galatians 6:8 tells us, “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” In other words, just as the old Cherokee teaches that the wolf we choose to feed will determine our life’s course, so too do our actions have consequences that reflect the nature of the seed we sow.

Similarly, Galatians 5:16-26 describes the “fruit of the Spirit” versus the “works of the flesh.” The fruit of the Spirit includes love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – all traits of the good wolf. The works of the flesh, on the other hand, include things like anger, envy, strife, jealousy, and dissension – traits of the evil wolf.

So, just as the old Cherokee taught his grandson to choose to feed the good wolf, so do these Biblical passages teach us to choose to sow to the Spirit and to produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. By doing so, we can overcome the works of the flesh and live a life that reflects the love and grace of God.

Kind Regards,

Adeolu Akinyemi.