Beware of Dog
We all have some bite in us right? It’s part of our humanity. But there are a lot of facets to our humanity that we may not access or ignite And sometimes, a word from someone else, plants a seed or starts a small flame.My acting teacher, DW Brown, told us an interesting story about a primate. I don’t remember if it was a monkey, a chimpanzee, or a gorilla, so bypass that detail for me. The point is, the leader of this group has red hair on his back, and when another member of the group challenges him, and wins, his hair will return to black, and the successor’s hair will begin to turn red. Interesting huh? So maybe the successor always had the ability to be the leader, he just needed to access it. The right circumstances presented itself, the right timing, he drummed up some courage, and boom he’s leader now.
So what’s inside you waiting to come out?
Is there an assertive person, a courageous spirit, an overcomer, a bulldog?
“Tommy Lasorda, former manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, tells the story of a young, skinny pitcher who was new in the Dodgers’ minor league system. The youngster was somewhat timid but had an extraordinarily powerful and accurate arm. Lasorda was convinced that the young pitcher had the potential to be one of the greatest ever. But, Lasorda says, the young man needed to be more fierce and competitive. He needed to lose his timidity. So Lasorda gave him a nickname that was exactly the opposite of his personality: “Bulldog.” Over the years, that is exactly what Orel Hershiser became—one of the most tenacious competitors who ever took the mound in the major leagues. The nickname became a perpetual reminder of what he ought to be, and before long, it shaped his whole attitude.” – Michael McDonald
Maybe someone isn’t calling you bulldog, but you are talking to yourself everyday, and what you say to you is more powerful, than what anyone else says to you. Sometimes you may need to consider what someone else sees in you. They could be right, just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there. Maybe you are capable of running your own business, public speaking, etc. Maybe you are selfish, or too impulsive. Change is always a possibility.
You don’t need to agree with what everyone says, and you can don’t have to repeat their lies in your mind either. They didn’t make you, so then how can they define you? Your parents didn’t make you either, they were just part of the process.
So what does God say about you? What do you say to others? Speak life.
“A man’s stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled. Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” – Proverbs 18:20, 21 NKJV
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.” – Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” – Ephesians 4:29
“The wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands.” – Proverbs 14:1
