The Tale of Two Wolves

I do my best thinking in the shower or right after really tough workouts.  I think the after workout thoughts are probably more hallucinations rather than clear thinking due to the lack of oxygen to my brain.  Nevertheless, these are the times when I am still with my thoughts.  Just recently, I wrote down one of my thoughts and after writing it, I was reminded of a similar story. 

My original thought was "Every person has two people living inside fighting to come out.  One is strong, discliplined, and successful.  The other is lazy, selfish, undisciplined, and very average." You may or may not have heard the Cherokee legend of the two wolves but it is very similar to my statement above. 

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.  "It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Similarly, the Bible also talks about a war going on inside every person between the flesh and the spirit.  Galatians 5 says that the works of the spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control.  The works of the flesh are basically the opposite of those of the spirit.

So the question that remains is which wolf are you feeding?  Are you living according to the flesh or the spirit?  I have found in my own life that my physical training helps feed my spirit.  It creates and strengthens good habits that lead to more successful living.  It is not easy doing the right thing.  Usually that can be a guide as to whether something is of the flesh or of the spirit.  But the more battles we face and win with our physical training, the more battles we can face with confidence and ultimately win in life.  That is what I like to call Trinity Fitness.