Sunday, July 17, 2016

I am a wolf. I am a sheep.

 I see myself as a wolf, but also as a sheep. A couple of times, I have posted this meme on Facebook.



Which actually isn't true. While it is true that I consider myself a wolf, when it comes to defending liberty and resisting tyranny, I also consider myself a sheep, when it comes to being led by the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. The thoughts are not mutually contradictory. One can fight valiantly for liberty and our God-given rights--being a wolf, if you will--and at the same time follow God. In fact, since those rights are God-given, not government given, I consider it my duty. In my case, often I am the lost sheep who sometimes strays, but I still recognize Him as my shepherd. Much too often, I don the guise of wolf and forget about who my shepherd really is and that I need Him much more than I need to rend with slavering jaws.
Not that there isn't a time and a place to rend. Sometimes there is, but those of us who are believers must sometimes put aside the urge to tear down the evil, and just follow the One. It is something I have a challenging time remembering to do. Ultimately though, He will pull through for us. In the meantime, it does us good to remember the 23rd Psalm and these words:

There is a time to tear down evil with the ruthlessness of a wolf. But I pray I don't become the evil in order to do so. 




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