WHAT TYPE OF BIRD ARE YOU?

(Isaiah 40:31 ESV) But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

When I lived in the State of Washington I used to fish from an old boat that I bought from my neighbor - and periodically I would go out by myself or with friends.  Sometimes we did really well and sometimes not so well.  I remember one time when the fishing wasn't that great and I was kind of frustrated when all of a sudden an eagle came out of the sky and landed right by my boat and scooped up a nice sized trout and flew off on his merry way.  What an insult that was.

I have always been fascinated by eagles in life.  There are many species of birds on earth but the eagle always  seems to be set apart and in a class all by himself.

Stay with me on this - but I think there are similarities between birds and Christians.  Let me give you an example of some of the types of birds out there and see if it relates to the type of Christian you might be.

The Chicken

The chicken is generally afraid of life; selfdom flies or reaches its potential. The chicken is content with mediocrity. It is a fat, lazy bird usually spending most of its time scratching around the chicken yard for grubs and worms.  They live inside the confines of a fence and are satisfied to do so. When a storm arises, the first thing they do is RUN for the chicken house to huddle in fear with all the other chickens.

The Magpie

This is an overly aggressive bully who swoops down and harasses other animals and people.  This is the type of Christian who is abusive to others.  He is selfish, arrogant and self-centered to the point of rudeness. This type of person is disrespectful and causes much harm in the body of Christ.

The Kookaburra

The Kookaburra is from Australia.  He is loud and makes a call that sounds even human.  It almost sounds like he’s laughing. They live around 20 years.  It doesn’t drink water as it gets enough water from the food it eats.  This is like the Christian who thinks life is one big party – one big joke. This person takes nothing seriously and laughs at everything, even when it is totally inappropriate. This person is a big clown.  A coarse jester who wounds, hurts, and offends.  He is not sensitive to people at all.

The Vulture/ Buzzard

This bird is a scavenging bird that rarely attacks and eats live animals.  It feeds mostly on the carcasses of dead animals. This bird enjoys the filth of life – everything corrupt, rotten, and stinking.
Some Christians are like this bird.  They come to church, carry their Bible but continue to be attracted to the filth of life.  They are attracted to people with problems.  They love to “rip people apart” or “tear them to pieces” with their mouth. They love to spread rumors and don’t think anything of destroying a person or a ministry. They have the smell of death around them.

The Parrot/ Cockatoos

There are 353 varieties of parrots or Cockatoos. These are the talkers of the bird kingdom. These are the super spiritual Christian who can talk the talk, but not walk the walk. Everything they have learned, they learned it “parrot fashion,” mimicking someone else. They have the head knowledge and no experience.  They are all noise and no action.

The Cuckoo

This bird does not like to work and is happy to “sponge” off someone else.  It does not even want to build a nest, but looks for one that is already finished by someone else. It lays its eggs there, and then leaves the other bird to raise it babies.

There are “cuckoos” in the church today: they exist on handouts.  They do not want to work. Sometimes they are not even born again but they operate under a religious spirit.  They live by hints or straight out requests for handouts – but not faith.

The Peacock

He is the “flashy, showy” bird. This is the Christian who is overly ambitious, worldly and full of pride.  He is very much in love with and impressed with himself. He feels superior to everyone else.  He loves to strut his “stuff” – clothes, cars, jewelry, but they do little or nothing for anyone else in need. They have huge egos that need to be stroked a lot.

The Pelican

This big, old, fat, jolly bird is only interested in eating – seeking whatever he can find to fill his belly.
As a Christian – if he would turn this ravenous appetite toward the Word of God – He would then become a spiritual giant. But he is happy to back with a pack of beer and a smoke and the “little lady” of the house be the spiritual leader.

The Crow

This bird is also a dirty bird of life.  This bird enjoys destroying the young of other species. It is like the Christian who enjoy tearing down other churches. This bird loves to rip and maim; he is out for himself.  Nothing or anyone else matters in life – only his own selfish desires.  This bird thinks nothing of ruining someone else’s reputation or ripping apart a church. This bird is one of the most cunning and dangerous birds in the kingdom.  It’s interesting… THE CROW SPENDS A GREAT DEAL OF TIME PESTERING THE EAGLE!!

Sparrows and Finches

These birds fritter about from place to place chattering away, rarely having anything to say worth listening to.  They are a constant social whirl. They can hop from church to church without ever settling anywhere.   Rarely do these birds grown in the Lord. They rely on their loud chatter to gain recognition. Canaries and other caged birds These are beautiful birds which a lot of potential – but they are content to spend the rest of their lives locked behind the bars of a cage – whatever the cage might be: religious tradition; inferiority, insecurity, an unsuccessful marriage, or an unhappy childhood. They birds live and die behind the bars of their cage without ever really having lived.

The EAGLE

There are some eagle Christians.  They are bold, strong, and fiercly devoted. This magnificent bird understands the “thermal currents” of the Holy Spirit.  He understands the moving of the Spirit and how to flow effortlessly and easily. The eagle is committed, a reliable mate, and a devoted parent. God has chosen this bird to liken us to so He can motivate us to strive and rise to our potential in life.
The eagle is confident to stand alone in life against the storms and spread its wings, soaring above the clouds of destruction. This bird dwells on the rock in the high places of the earth. It’s interesting – a eagle cannot hang around with chickens, crows, and peacocks and not eventually start acting like them!

IT’S TIME TO COME UP HIGHER!

Ask yourself about what type of Christian are you today?  What kind of Christian do you want to become?  What types of friends do you have?  What type of an influence are you with them?   What type of bird are you today?  I pray that we all strive to be Eagles.

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