James 1:5-6 “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” NIV

There was an unusual day in my childhood that I will never forget. It was the day my dad and an animal intruder confronted each other in my grandmother’s farm home. It was not just any animal but one, which no other animal in its right mind would tangle with. I have heard that even a grizzly bear will not dispute with this little fur ball even when food is involved. The bear will back off and never make contact or contest it. He knows that even though he could win over it he would be the loser.

Sometimes man is not so smart. Things that we do not understand we should leave alone. However, the challenge was too great and so my dad being from the city and unfamiliar with the ways of wild creatures took matters into his own hands. He reasoned that a quick kill could stop the power of the built in defense mechanism of the skunk but he was wrong.

An old fashioned metal rake and a fast strike were his impulsive plan but this was no match. The skunk lost but not before he let the rest of the farm know he had been there. In the split second before calamity fell he wreaked havoc. His contribution to air pollution was never in doubt and the odor stayed with the house for weeks in spite of all the scrubbing and airing.

Dad was embarrassed and felt as dumb as dirt. Grandma was more than a little miffed at her son in law and probably agreed that he was not acting real smart. Wisdom in any and every tense situation can be ours in a hurry if we will just ask God for it. James 1:5. We cannot always depend on our quick wit or impulse. Too often we act first and think later.

There is only one way to deal with a skunk. It is the same way we must deal with temptations and sin. Don’t use impulsive action. Dealing with sin on impulse can get us into big trouble. It is like hitting a skunk. We may win but we are going to get the worst of it. Be “smarter than the average bear” and back away from temptation to sin, while you pray for wisdom and strength, direction and speed as you run away from its power to make you a loser.

We could learn from the Grizzly bear.

Carolyn jcklr1@gmail.com