Two Dogs

   Not long after I wrote the last post, Heart and Soul, I read Chaim's retelling of the story of a Native American who became a Christian and was then asked what it was like.  "He answered, 'It is like having two dogs inside of me fighting, one good and one evil.' When asked which one would win, the old man said, 'Whichever I feed the most.'
   Just like Elijah [in his fear of Jezebel] and that old Native American man, we have two 'dogs' fighting inside of us--a dog of fear and a dog of faith. For awhile, we let the 'arm of flesh' feed us and take care of us. But when that arm of flesh fails us, and we must turn to God to feed us, our faith falters because for too long we have been feeding the the dog of fear rather than the dog of faith."*
  I believe the same analogy applies in another sense.  Are we feeding, within us and others, the dog of today's culture, gradually becoming accustomed to its values and using the terminologies that reflect them?  Do we talk about "karma," which is absolutely antithetical to the heart of Christianity?  Do we refer to how 'lucky' we were in a particular situation? Do we tell someone for whom we should be praying that we will 'think positive thoughts' of them (which will provide them no help whatsoever)? Do we say we'll 'cross our fingers' or 'knock on wood' (a practice which dates back to idolatry of Gaia, whom many New Agers still believe dwells within the trees)? Do we place our hope in lotteries and other forms of gambling, rather than entrusting our provision to God?  Have we become so accustomed to sexual immorality that we just accept it as part of our TV and movie entertainment? Do we listen to secular music (new or old) containing crude, foul, or even idolatrous lyrics because we like 'the beat' or enjoy the nostalgia of remembering the time from which they came?
   If so, our frogish souls are in very hot water, and we don't even realize the temperature is increasing.  (Sorry for the abrupt change in species.)  If we are adapting to our culture, rather than influencing it toward God's Truth, then we are definitely feeding the wrong dog, who will eventually consume us from the inside out.
   I say this to myself, as well, as I wrestle daily with how I will spend my time.  I enjoy a good mystery, trying to figure out 'who done it,' like my mother before me.  In her time, however, they would usually only intimate or imply a death, by showing just the feet on the floor, and then spend the show trying to solve the puzzle of the perpetrator.  How much sexual immorality, violence, and perversion have I become accustomed to by watching today's mystery stories?  How have I gradually become inured to them? Am I listening to the voice of God who reminds me where the power button is on my remote?
   Let us not rationalize any more how often we feed the wrong dog, but rather ask God, Who understands every temptation we face, to help us withstand them. Let's ask His help in remaining sensitive to the direction of His Holy Spirit...in shaping our thoughts, in discerning His Truth, and in determining, day by day, what types of entertainment are acceptable to Him.  Which things has He given us to enjoy and which are like eating from that other tree in the garden, which He forbids us to eat because He knows it will destroy us?
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1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.

Genesis 3:1-6:

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

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*Chaim Bentorah, Hebrew Word Study: Revealing the Heart of God; p. 81-82