Don’t Feed the Bears!

By: Alicia Stewart

Fall in the Great Smokey Mountains is beautiful, and if you are fortunate you may be able to see one or more of the black bears. Black bears are more visible in the fall as they come out of the deeper woods to the trails and roadways in their search for food before winter hibernation. Black bears are beautiful creatures, but there are numerous signs about the park warning visitors to not get close to them and not to feed them.

Black bears are wild animals and can be dangerous. Their behavior is unpredictable. If a black bear attacks a person, it can result in serious injuries or even death. Getting too close to a black bear can promote aggressive behavior. When a bear becomes aggressive, it might run toward you, make loud noises, or swat the ground as a warning to get away because it needs more space. When visitors try to feed bears, or leave food for them, it encourages problems. Bears have a keen sense of smell and are attracted to the scents emanating from human food. Bears connect human food with humans. They become less intimidated and more aggressive, promoting dangerous situations for visitors to the park.

We must be careful of dangers in our lives. In Thessalonians 5:6, the scriptures tell us to “…keep wide awake (alert, watchful, cautious, and be on our guard) and let us be sober (calm, collected, and circumspect)” and in verse 3, it says “When people are, All is well and secure, and, There is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction (ruin and death) will come upon them…” We are also told we should not be disturbed, beguiled, or led astray but to separate ourselves for holy living (1 Thessalonians 3:3 and 4:3, paraphrased).

What are the “black bears” in our lives? What are the things from which we should distance ourselves and not feed?

1 Thessalonians warns of things from which we are to distance ourselves. We “…should abstain and shrink from all sexual vice” (4:3), separate ourselves “…from things profane…” (4:4), to not “…transgress and overreach his brother and defraud him or defraud his brother in business…” (4:6). The New Testament also tells us to avoid desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16), love of money (Hebrews 13:5), to not pass judgment (Romans 14:13), to not avenge ourselves (Romans 12:19), and avoid all wrongdoing (1 John 5:17).

Like the black bears in the mountains, the “bears” in our lives may appear beautiful and harmless. Black Bears are dangerous and the “bears” in our lives are dangerous. We are warned not to be deceived. The scriptures tell us that “…appetites and base desires, and by ingratiating and flattering speech, they beguile the hearts of the unsuspecting…” (Romans 16:18). We are also told to “Let no one delude and deceive you…” (Ephesians 5:6). Colossians 2:8 says for us to “See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world)…”

Whatever “bears” are in our lives, the Bible assures us the Lord is our Light and Salvation, He is our Refuge and the Stronghold of our lives (Psalm 27:1, paraphrased). “Therefore we do not become discouraged…our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

The black bear runs an average of 30 mph. If a black bear becomes aggressive, you cannot outrun it. If we feed our “bears” or get too close to them, we will not be able to outrun them. We must trust in God and follow Him. The Lord promises to be our strength (see Psalm 73:25–28).