Wild Heart

It’s amazing to me how many wild animals are kept as pets.

One man living in a New York apartment raised a tiger from a cub until it got out of control. He eventually moved out of his own apartment and let the tiger take over. He would go once a day and throw in a raw chicken, but authorities learned of the captive tiger when the cat waited by the door and bit his owner. 

Since 1990, at least six adults and two children have been killed by tigers in the United States. More than 60 others have been seriously injured in tiger attacks. There are now three times as many tigers in captivity, and kept as pets, as there are in the wild.

Why do this?  Why invite potential danger into our lives knowing that it could hurt us at any time?

Good question.  

I would ask the same question to the person who watches pornography on their laptop when their spouse goes to bed.... or the family who refuses to talk about problems openly ... or the disloyalty we spread at work because we don’t like our boss... 

It starts simple enough... we invite a tiny sin into our lives.  Just like that cute Tiger cub it sits there purring innocently.  We don’t think anything of it.  We have total control, don’t we?  It’s not long before we realize that it requires more food... more of our attention... and it grows.

Ever had something sinful start innocently in your life start to grow out of control?

Before long, what we felt we had control over begins to take over.  We can’t stop it... we just hope it doesn’t pounce and cause damage.  Sometimes irreparable damage.  

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8

That sin that once seemed so innocent is now fully grown... controlled by the enemy... a big ferocious animal... ready to take you down.  To take your family down.  To take your career down.  

Seem overly dramatic?  I’ve watched one little sin grow and tear apart multiple generations in the same family.   One “easily controllable” little white lie destroy a marriage.  One teeny tiny sinful habit ruin a business.  All the devil needs is a toe in the door and he’ll tear the whole place up.  

How do we avoid it?  Don’t let the sin in.  The Bible calls this self-control.  Restrain yourself when sin seems the easiest way.  Confront what the world tells you is right when you know God says it isn’t.  Repent at the first sign of a crack in your values.  

If you don’t control yourself...and I don’t control me... the world will be glad to do it.  The enemy will be glad to do it.  He’s looking for a chance to gain influence in our lives anyway.  Don’t let him trick you into opening the door (even a little) to the heart that you have given to Christ.  Control yourself, your influences, your habits, and your tongue... and watch God bless your life immeasurably.  

Spiders

I've never been a big fan of spiders.  We get them once and awhile in the house (as most in South Florida do…) and they give me the creeps.  People tell me that they are actually good to have around as they like to eat problem insects… but I still don’t like them too much.  The other day I read a report that a Seattle man accidentally burnt his house to the ground after trying to kill a spider with a cigarette lighter and a can of spray paint. The man later told police that the spider had been lurking in the laundry, and he had accidentally lit the wall on fire with his makeshift flame thrower.  Just a few weeks earlier, Ginny Griffith of Hutchinson, Kansas, lit her laundry on fire after seeing a spider crawl into a pile of towels. The fire quickly got out of hand, and her home went up in flames. She's been charged with aggravated arson.

A makeshift blowtorch to kill a tiny and very scared arachnid.  Unnecessary force in a manageable situation.  The result?  Catastrophe.  

Sounds a lot like what many of us do when problems erupt in our lives.  Something rears its head and instead of a calm and appropriate reaction… we go off.  Raised voices… flailing arms… blood pressure creeps up and tolerance levels drop down.  We overreact.  It’s common but it’s not Biblical. 

The Scriptures tell us in the book of Proverbs 17:27… “A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered.”   This verse tells us that it’s the truly wise person who sees challenging circumstances as an opportunity to grow in good judgment and gain an understanding of God’s will for their lives.  

You don’t need a sledgehammer to kill a fly.  The next time things start to heat up in your corner of life… take a deep breath and think.  Just think.

Allow your mind to play out the scenario of what might happen if you discharge an impromptu blowtorch on cotton towels… or what might happen to your relationship… or to your reputation as a follower of Christ.  If you are a Christian, people are watching.  Do they see even-temperedness and control in time of stress in your life?  Or are they calling the fire department because you couldn’t control your reaction to a spider?   Think first and act (not react) second.   And if “ready, fire, aim” is your standard… be bold enough to make a change today. 

Angry?

Mother Teresa was once asked “Don’t you ever become angry at the causes of social injustice that you see in India or in any of the places in which you work?”  She thought for a long moment and replied, “Why should I expend energy in anger that I can expend in love.”

During the course of a day, we have a limited amount of both time and energy.  And decision by decision, we get to choose how we use it.   Should we become furious and yell... or be forgiving and loving?  Same amount of time.  Same amount of energy.  So which one is what God wants?  Scripture tells us in James chapter 1 that “the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”  And if our goal is to become more like Christ (which it should be), then the choice is clear.  Why waste time throwing our hands in the air and yelling... instead, why not use that same passion to calm a situation, extend grace, show mercy, and help people see Christ reflected in our love for them.  While this isn’t always the easiest choice, it is the most effective one as we strive forward to reach our God potential.  

Self Control?

Tony Evans, Pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Texas, spoke of being on an elevator in a high-rise building. He didn’t like riding elevators because he worried that something would go wrong.  One day it did.  The car he was riding in got stuck in between floors.   He noted that some of the people in the car became frantic. They began to beat on the door hoping to get someone’s attention. Others began to yell in the hopes that their voices would get someone on the surrounding floors to come to the aid. But nobody heard their noise or their cries. Then Evans quietly made his way to the front of the car, opened a little door in the wall and pulled out a telephone. Immediately he was connected with someone on the outside. He didn’t need to beat on the wall to get their attention. He didn’t need to speak loudly in the phone to receive their help. He could have whispered and they would have heard him.

Anger and yelling did nothing to get those people out of the elevator.   Instead, patience and self-control solved the problem.  The Bible talks about this very thing...

“Better to be patient than powerful;

    better to have self-control than to conquer a city.”  Proverbs 16:32

In any relationship, anger and lack of self-control hurt the ability to honestly communicate.  When one side is afraid of making the other mad for fear of setting off an emotional volcano...there is an issue...and before long, all meaningful communication stops.   If we are going to have deeper relationships, we must be in control of our temper...not over-reacting to a situation or a remark.  By doing so, we create an environment where both sides are equally heard... honesty and trust thrive... and God-honoring solutions are reached. 

Noise or Understanding

Winston Churchill once said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Have you ever thought about how much time we spend listening?   Whether it be in a business meeting, a relationship, or even with God?  There are many people today that hear every word... quickly respond... and then have to apologize and repair damage because they didn’t think through the possible consequences of their answer.  Active listening is something we have to choose to do...but did you know it something God wants us to do as well?  In the book of James, Chapter 1 and verse 19 it says this:  

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,”

Proverbs 18:13 puts it another more direct way...

“Spouting off before listening to the facts

    is both shameful and foolish.”

It’s much better to spend your time thinking through an answer than mending a fence or repairing relationship damage.  Sometimes you only have one chance to choose the right response in a situation... Be courageous!  Choose to think it through first and answer second... you’ll always be glad you did.  Remember,  two people talking just create noise... one person talking while the other listens creates deeper understanding and connection.  

Control

It’s amazing to me how many wild animals are kept as pets.

One man living in a New York apartment raised a tiger from a cub until it got out of control. He eventually moved out of his own apartment and let the tiger take over. He would go once a day and throw in a raw chicken, but authorities learned of the captive tiger when the cat waited by the door and bit his owner. 

Since 1990, at least six adults and two children have been killed by tigers in the United States. More than 60 others have been seriously injured in tiger attacks. There are now three times as many tigers in captivity, and kept as pets, as there are in the wild.

Why do this?  Why invite potential danger into our lives knowing that it could hurt us at any time?

Good question.  

I would ask the same question to the person who watches pornography on their laptop when their spouse goes to bed.... or the family who refuses to talk about problems openly ... or the disloyalty we spread at work because we don’t like our boss... 

...and so many other things.

It starts simple enough... we invite a tiny sin into our lives.  Just like that cute Tiger cub it sits there purring... innocently... We don’t think anything of it.  We have total control, don’t we?  It’s not long before we realize that it requires more food... more of our attention... and it grows.

Ever had something sinful start innocently in your life start to grow out of control?

Before long, what we felt we had control over begins to take over.  We can’t stop it... we just hope it doesn’t pounce and cause damage.  Sometimes irreparable damage.  

“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8

That sin that once seemed so innocent is now fully grown... controlled by the enemy... a big ferocious animal... ready to take you down.  To take your family down.  To take your career down.  

Seem overly dramatic?  I’ve watched one little sin grow and tear apart multiple generations in the same family.   One “easily controllable” little white lie destroy a marriage.  One teeny tiny sinful habit ruin a business.  All the devil needs is a toe in the door and he’ll tear the whole place up.  

How do we avoid it?  Don’t let the sin in.  The Bible calls this self-control.  Restrain yourself when sin seems the easiest way.  Confront what the world tells you is right when you know God says it isn’t.  Repent at the first sign of a crack in your values.  

If you don’t control yourself...and I don’t control me... the world will be glad to do it.  The enemy will be glad to do it.  He’s looking for a chance to gain influence in our lives anyway.  Don’t let him trick you into opening the door (even a little) to the heart that you have given to Christ.  Control yourself, your influences, your habits, and your tongue... and watch God bless your life immeasurably.