Dragon or Saint?

“…and he spake as a dragon.” —Revelation 13:11

“Walk in love… as becometh saints” —Ephesians 5:2-3

Chuck Swindoll tells a story in his book, “David: A Man After God’s Own Heart,” about an English pub with a sign hung over it’s door: “The Inn of Saint George and the Dragon.”  A lowly homeless bum came upon this quint inn and sheepishly entered seeking a “hand-out.”

“What’re ye doin’ in here?” the waitress snapped.

He humbly said, “Please, ma’am, could you spare a bite for me to eat?”

“A bite to eat for a no-good bum like you? No! Go get a job like anybody else and work for your food!”

The beggar hung his head and retreated outside.  Part way up the street he stopped, and looked back at the sign, slowly mouthing the words, “Saint George” and the “Dragon.”

With a determined step he returned to the inn and strolled up to the callous waitress and said, “Now that I’ve met the dragon of this inn, may I now please speak with Saint George?”

Too often when confronted with an offense, we act more like a dragon than a saint.  We’d rather sit on the judgment seat than on the mercy seat.  If people need to get past the dragon in us before they see the saint in us, they will never find forgiveness.

Based on how you treat those who have wronged you, do they see you as a “dragon” or a “saint?”