"Long Live Cowboys"

Sometimes I think the cowboys,

Might be just what we need,

For a country that has gone astray,

After lust and greed.

It’s sure not that they’re perfect,

Or haven’t done things wrong,

But they remember how it was,

And not so very long,

Since there was no confusion,

‘Bout whether boy or girl,

Or if we’d stand in loyalty,

When our flag’s unfurled.

We lived closer to the land then,

Or our kinfolks did,

And we loved hearth and family,

And even as a kid,

Knew better than to talk back,

When mother or our dad,

Told us to do something,

Got whipped if we were bad.

And people rose at sunrise,

And worked till it went down,

Days measured by the labor,

On weekends went to town.

And if someone suggested,

They’d give you somethin’ free,

You might just burst out laughing,

Bend down and slap a knee.

The cowboys weren’t the only ones,

But maybe they’d give hope,

To those who are postmodern,

And ‘bout run out of rope.

‘Cause high-tech’s left us lonely,

And secular’s a joke,

And people in our cities,

On pollution almost choke.

So listen to the cowboy,

Who says let’s come back home,

To reverence God and country,

We never were alone.

“Make it your goal to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands…” (1 Thess. 4:11, NLT)

Life was simpler in the past. No, we can’t go back, but we can ask the Lord to instill in our hearts the same principles that were once widely held as important in our society. Belief in God, love for family, and hard work formed a kind of “public morality” that is now lost. But all those who belong to Jesus Christ have committed themselves to a counter-cultural lifestyle that challenges the new normal. If we are Spirit-filled, we will lead an exemplary life that will draw others who are spiritually hungry. And that’s just the point. We cannot change everything, particularly if we are tempted to curse the darkness. Instead, we should be the light.

Lord, help us to lead lives that point others to You, in Jesus’ name.

Photo shared by a friend of God’s Horseback Gospel.