The One You Feed - Daily Devotional

The One You Feed – Daily Devotional

Every day, you are strengthening something within you—whether you realize it or not.

A daily devotional adapted from The Drive podcast

Inside each of us is a quiet but constant struggle.

An old Cherokee story describes it as a battle between two wolves living within the same heart. One represents anger, fear, envy, pride, resentment, and shame. The other represents love, peace, patience, humility, kindness, compassion, and faith. Both are real. Both are present. And both are hungry.

When the grandson in the story asks which wolf will win, the answer is simple—and deeply unsettling:

The one you feed.

That truth invites an important first step: awareness.

There is a fight within us. Acknowledging it doesn’t make us weak—it makes us honest. Scripture teaches that from the time we are born, there is a natural pull toward darkness as well as light. Pretending otherwise only lowers our defenses and leaves us unprepared to help ourselves or those we love.

Recognizing this inner struggle does two powerful things.

First, it helps us become more patient—with ourselves and with others.

Second, it creates urgency. If what we feed grows stronger, then what we allow into our hearts and minds matters more than we often realize.

We already understand this principle physically. We know that what we eat affects how we feel, how we function, and how healthy we become. Most of us try—at least to some degree—to guard what goes into our bodies.

But what about what goes into our minds?

The media we consume.

The music we listen to.

The shows we watch.

The games we play.

The conversations we dwell on.

All of it feeds something.

I once learned this lesson in a moment I wish I could redo. After unwinding with an intense video game, I snapped impatiently at my young daughter. The look on her face stopped me cold. I didn’t like who I was becoming in those moments—and it wasn’t hard to trace the source. What I was feeding was affecting how I showed up for the people I loved most.

So I changed the input.

I traded intensity for connection. Screens for presence. Noise for moments that nourished my soul. Years later, I don’t miss the game at all—but I treasure the memories that change made.

When we notice rising anger, discouragement, envy, or restlessness, the solution isn’t always more effort or discipline. Often, the first place to look is the food source. Cut off what feeds what you don’t want to grow. Replace it with what strengthens the good.

Today’s Daily Challenge

Today, pay close attention to what you’re feeding.

Track what you consume mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Notice how it makes you feel. Ask yourself which wolf it strengthens. Then make one intentional swap—something uplifting, peaceful, or faith-filled in place of something that drains you.

No matter how fierce the struggle feels, as long as there is still fight left in the good within you, it can win.

Feed it.

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Thanks for taking a moment to reflect today.

If you’re looking for gospel-centered lessons designed specifically for teens, you can explore Come Follow Me for Teens for weekly study guides, devotionals, and teaching resources.

You can also listen to The Drive podcast for more short, daily faith-based reflections.