"Straight Cowboy"

They rode out early morning,

Before the light of day,

The coffee and the biscuits,

Could not make them stay.

Out at that old long trot,

They covered many miles,

And crossed expansive sections,

They traded frowns for smiles.

This was where a cowboy,

Finds the why he came,

Out there on the gather,

With cattle that aren’t tame.

And there he thanks the Good Lord,

That though he made his start,

Back there in some city,

It couldn’t hold his heart.

He needed open spaces,

He wanted to be free,

He thought that he might cowboy,

If there they’d let him be.

So he watched ‘em closely,

And he has paid his dues,

And now he is considered,

One they should not lose.

No, not all can find it,

Some don’t make the cut,

But if the Spirit binds it

You cannot get shut,

Of how it feels in springtime,

The sun upon the sage,

The rising before daybreak,

The cowboys any age.

And he will tell you, brother,

He never would life trade,

For what they do in cities,

Or that whole life they’ve made.

‘Cause God’s still makin’ cowboys,

What they ought to be,

And maybe not for all men,

But some still, don’t you see.

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

A quiet life characterized by hard work is something God will bless. The cowboy life is a uniquely American expression fo many of the virtues we hold dear: hard work, individualism, freedom, and honor. The cowboy way and lifestyle gives us heroes to emulate and a dream to envision. But here is the bottom line: being a cowboy is neutral morally and spiritually. It can be a good thing, but not always. What matters more than one’s work is one’s belief in Jesus Christ and the lifestyle that is evoked by a personal surrender to HIm. We may love the cowboy ideal, but nothing can replace giving our lives to Jesus for time and eternity. I love being a cowboy, but I love knowing Jesus far more, and that’s all that really matters. The question is not: are you a cowboy? The question Is; have you given your life to Jesus? I hope you have.

Lord, come in and take complete control of our lives, in Jesus’ name.

Art by Bruce Greene, brucegreenart.com. Used by permission. Thanks, Bruce, and God bless you.