The Story of Two Wolves

One evening an old Cherokee 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, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is 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 simply replied, “The one you feed.”

And the following is a longer version which provides an application of the message:

A Grandfather’s Story

There was Grandfather, his little grandson often came in the evenings to sit at his knee and ask the many questions that children ask. One day the grandson came to his Grandfather with a look of anger on his face.

Grandfather said, ” Come, sit, tell me what has happened today.”

The child sat and leaned his chin on his Grandfather's knee.Looking up into the wrinkled, nut brown face and the kind dark eyes; the child's anger turned to tears.

The boy said, “I went to the town today with my father, to trade the furs he has collected over the past several months. I was happy to go, because father said that since I had helped him with the trapping, I could get something for me. Something that I wanted.

I was so excited to be in the trading post, I have not been there before. I looked at many things and finally found a metal knife! It was small, but a good size for me. So father got it for me.”

Here the boy laid his head against his Grandfather's knee and became silent. The Grandfather, softly placed his hand on the boys raven hair and said, “and then what happened?”. Without lifting his head, the boy said, “I went outside to wait for father, and to admire my new knife in the sunlight. Some town boys came by and saw me, they got all around me and started saying bad things.

They call me dirty and stupid and said that I should not have such a fine knife. The largest of these boys, pushed me back and I fell over one of the other boys. I dropped my knife and one of them snatched it up and they all ran away laughing.”

Here the boy's anger returned, “I hate them, I hate them all !!!”

The Grandfather, with eyes that have seen too much, lifted his grandson's face so his eyes looked into the boys. Grandfather said, “Let me tell you a story. I too, at times have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. It is as if there are two wolves inside me, one is white and one is black. The white wolf is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. But will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way.

But, the black wolf is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him off into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing. Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit.”

The boy looked into his Grandfather's eyes, and asked, “Which one wins Grandfather?”

The Grandfather, smiled and said, “The one I feed.”

Proverbs 25:
21 If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink: 22 For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

Romans 12:
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Words from a friend…

When we forgive someone we excuse them from just condemnation of the law because there is no forgiveness that does not come from above. When someone offends us, the truth in our forgiveness is shown when we not only forgive them ourselves, we ask God to forgive them too. This brings grace into the equation between us and the offender just as it does between God and ourselves through Jesus Christ.

Through grace one learns of the attributes of Christ and when we do for others as Christ did for us we become more like him. Forgiving is not human in nature, it is divine. The person doing the forgiving has moved forward along the path toward righteousness and the person being forgiven is introduced to it.