There are two types of personalities I would like to talk about today; alligators and teddy bears. We need to ask God to show us the difference between them (the people we can give our heart away to vs. those whom we will need to be wary of). Let me describe some of the characteristics of each.
Alligators are those people in our lives that make it almost impossible to have a working and enjoyable relationship with them.
– Alligators are demanding and manipulative. They must have their own way.
– Alligators are self-centered; they are busy thinking of what is good for them.
– Alligators are busy thinking about what others think about them to get more.
– Alligators not only stab you in the back, but they thrust the sword
– You can love an alligator, but do not expect anything in return.
– Alligators suck the life out of you.
– They are selfish; they do not think about other peoples’ feelings.
Alligators are more concerned with their own comforts and what would be easy for them, often at the expense of others. They have thick skins and do not respond to signs that other people need them. (The only things that motivate an alligator are its own base needs to eat and for be comfortable). This is not a give-and-take relationship because alligators only know how to take. For example, when you get angry at an alligator he/she will not bother to try and understand what is bothering you or try to work it out. Instead, he/she wilt simply get angry right back at you.
All of these characteristics give out a message: ‘1 am unavailable to you!” Just think about some of the qualities of a real alligator: they have limited vision and do not look around much, they have heavy tails and bodies that can seriously injure, and they sleep a lot. Alligators make an excellent analogy for some people! There are many people who have limited vision, in that they are too concerned about their own needs to notice the needs of those around them. Even though they do not have tails, they can hurt others with their words and actions. Even though they may not physically sleep a lot, they can be so emotionally numb that they might as well be asleep.
As bad as alligators are, thank God that He provided a counter balance to them! The opposite of the alligator is the teddy bear. Some of their identifying characteristics of a teddy bear are:
– They want to be needed and are always ready to give. (They do not feel fulfilled unless they are spending time in the presence of God or with the people that He puts into their lives.
– Since teddy bears relate well to others they can easily adapt to a variety of social situations.
– Teddy bears love to be touched, and often get a little worn because they are appreciated so much. The more love they get the softer they are.
– They have patience. They can sit in a corner for awhile when the are not being used.
– Teddy bears love to share.
As you can see, teddy bears are a good analogy for soft-hearted people. (Not to mention wonderful role models). Unlike the alligators, the teddy bears of this world will still love you when you get angry. That is because they realize that love is a decision. In fact; that is how they got to be teddy bears in the first place! A teddy bear can be a former alligator that was shown the loving ways of Jesus, and who decided to do whatever it took to make that transformation, teddy bears thrive on love and affection; alligators think that love is inappropriate unless it can get them something from someone. (That would be the equivalent of getting a meal for themselves).
Teddy bears also realize the importance of quality, caring relationships. They like to really listen and find out how they can help. Not the alligator; he/she will often frighten others by overreacting, saying unkind things (showing their teeth), and making others feel insecure. Some reasons for this are: alligators are more concerned with looking at themselves than others, they are quick to judge, and do not know how to be gentle. They attack. Teddy bears, however, value gentleness and are not quick to judge. Because they are always looking at something or someone else (e.g. Jesus), they tend to be free from self-concern. They just accept people for who they are.
Alligators sound pretty scary, but they are not a hopeless cause. They can become teddy bears in time. Here are some steps you can take to be more of a teddy bear:
– Let God show you who you are. (Are you a teddy bear, an alligator, or somewhere in-between? Alli-bear Be honest with yourself!)
– Pray that God will make you into more of a teddy bear even if you do not feel like one just yet.
– Do the type of things that teddy bears would do (if they were alive).
Allowing yourself to be a teddy bear is a necessary component in this process. It is wrong to be soft or accommodating? Do we view being a teddy bear as weak or a pushover? Do you feel better about being an alligator or a teddy bear? What are you friends? How much of an alligator or a teddy bear are they? Teddy bears are God’s success story. They symbolize in many ways important qualities of love that we need from others. Patience tenderness and gentleness are qualities that we could all have more of daily. Have we ever heard of a rough teddy bear? Probably not, unless it was human. Can we be silent and accepting and listening? Let us learn to pray first and act later. Powerful and gentle love is difficult to resist. Lord we pray that we will be blest with that kind of love.
The Eagles Cry 