"Ride with the Outlaw"

He liked to ride a pacing horse,

To get on down the road,

One that’s quiet and gentle,

So he would not get throwed.

He liked to keep his shirt clean,

Didn’t really like to work,

Loved a lively card game,

And if he could he’d shirk,

The gathering of the cattle,

And when came time to trail,

He thought of another plan,

And never thought he’d fail.

The way he did when finally,

He crossed the unseen line,

Rode too long with the outlaws,

And soon ran out of time.

Gus and Call and Pea and Deets,

All had been his friends,

And now they were the very ones,

Who brought Jake to his end.

Gus said before they hung him,

Words he knew were true,

Ride with the outlaw, die with him,

That’s what he had to do.

And I know it’s just a story,

From the Lonesome Dove old tale,

But that it is important,

For finding life’s best trail.

Who we ride with matters,

Be careful, don’t you know,

Bad company corrupts good character,

And we need to let it show.

 You might end up hanging,

Or something even worse,

Don’t go along to get along,

Remember that strong verse.

“…bad company corrupts good character…” (1 Corinthians 15:33, NLT)

I know God has called us to love everybody and Jesus ate and drank with sinners. But care is needed. If we are not careful we will allow dangerous people to get too close and become a problem to us. When this happens, we are dragged down by those who do not share the priority of living full out for Jesus Christ. What to do about it? Continue to love everybody, but some from a distance. We need to admit that we are not yet strong enough to resist the temptation they pose. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

Lord, help us to use caution when dealing with bad influences in our lives, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Don Weller, donweller.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Don, and God bless you.