And Don’t Gimlet Your Faith
In the Old West, one way you could measure the work and skill of a cowboy–watch how he took care of his horse. In those days, a horse provided your job, your travel home, and your net worth. And your escape route. Also, many times a horse could be your only companion on the trail. So, he wouldn’t gimlet him.
Most cowboys wouldn’t think much of a man who would, without cause, run down a horse. Sure, at times to save your own life, you might demand of your pony more than he could safely give. But that was the exception. No good cowboy did that as a practice.
Signs To Watch For
A tenderfoot or worthless cowhand tended to gimlet his horse. He’d ride his mount until its back wore sore. On the big cattle drives, the cowboys avoided this by changing horses several times a day. And when traveling from one place to another on the same horse, they would most often ride a couple hours, climb off, loosen the cinch, and walk awhile, giving the horse a rest.
That’s one complaint I have with a lot of western movies and TV shows. You seldom see a cowboy climb down and give his horse a break, although John Wayne does make that point in a dramatic scene in The Searchers. It just makes good sense to take special care of that which keeps you going.
Spiritual Gimlets
Now, the same thing’s true in the spiritual realm. Our faith keeps us safe, guided, and progressing toward the goal of the true life. So it makes a lot of sense to take good care of our faith.
Paul exhorts Timothy, “My son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected this and so have shipwrecked their faith.” (1 Timothy 1:18-20)
‘Shipwrecked faith’ sort of sounds a lot like a gimleted horse—run down, misused, and of decreasing value because of neglect. Fortunately, we’re told how to take better care of our faith by keeping it healthy.
Paul says in Romans, “Faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Some folks who claim to have faith haven’t read, studied, memorized, or heard the Word of God preached in months. Or years. Well, whatever faith they might possess, I can tell you one thing, they’re gimleting it. That’s faith neglect. In my mind, it should be classified as a spiritual crime.
Stephen Bly
Circa 1995
Man Riding Horse Image by ha11ok from Pixabay
Man Reading Bible Image by Waldryano from Pixabay
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“Don’t Gimlet Your Horse or Faith” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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