Pig Will and Pig Won't

Teaching children about life is a big responsibility.  We can teach them good and right ways to live, or teach them wrong ways.  As I watch my little grandsons grow up I realize that they have to learn everything.  They know nothing when they come into this world except how to exercise their own self will.

Books are one of the best teaching tools.

One of the books Dana reads to our little grandson is entitled, Pig Will and Pig Won’t, a book of manners.  It is about  a pig family with two little pigs named Pig Will and Pig Won’t. Pig Will is very cooperative and is always helping his parents, but Pig Won’t never wants to help, and is always grumpy.  

Pig Will is a good example of all the right things to do, while Pig Won’t is an example of everything not to do.  Pig Won’t has some bad experiences and in the end learns that life is much better if he has a better attitude.  

Our Christian lives begin in a similar way to our natural life.  It begins with a new birth.  Jesus tells us, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  John 3:3

Like a little child learning about life, new believers in Christ have a lot to learn.  We have crossed into a new realm; the Kingdom of God.  When that happens through faith in Christ we are ready to begin our Christian education.   Our old way of thinking diminishes and the new spiritual way works its way into our lives.  

Unfortunately many of us fail to move beyond that initial entrance into the kingdom.  We are given the materials to construct a new person that accords with the new life God has put in us, but too often, like the little pig, “we won’t” - we won’t move forward.

If we fail in this it is because we don’t understand how we are.  So many people look for blame in others or even the devil when we face difficulties, but in most cases our failures are because of our own undisciplined nature.

The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, nobler men and women; or they are making us more captious and fault-finding, more insistent upon our own way.  The things that happen either make us fiends, or they make us saints; it depends entirely upon our relationship to God.  Oswald Chambers

The story of Pig Will and Pig Won’t ends when Pig Won’t gets sick and cannot take part in Pig Will’s birthday party.   His mother gave him some medicine and sent him to bed.  Lying in bed Pig Won’t hears the party going on in the other room and is very sad because he can’t join in the fun.

Although Pig Won’t doesn’t deserve it, Lowly Worm brings him a piece of birthday cake to go with his cough medicine.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t have been at the party.” says Lowly.

That’s what sometimes happens to naughty pigs.

Pig Won’t came to a turning point in his life,  because of the nice thing Lowly Worm did in bringing him cake.  Even though he had been bad Lowly gave him what he did not deserve.

That is how God enters our lives - we are given Grace, through the cross of Christ even though we don’t deserve it.  Then we begin a new life.  This is a children’s book, but the lesson is there for all of us no matter our age.  I am amazed at how many adults, even professing Christians I encounter that are rude and have no manners; I see one every time I look in the mirror.

Paul encourages the Galatians to “Live by the Spirit.”

Life by the Spirit

So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.  For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.  They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…….. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.  Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.