The Wrong Trail

As a person who spent my first 30 years of life cowboyin, I was excited when I saw a new song called “Pearl Snap Preacher” was debuting. I love me some good country twang and gospel music mixed together. But when I heard the lyrics—my heart sank. The song in a nutshell describes a hardworking man who doesn't read his Bible enough or at all and prefers the open range over church, because he feels closer to God out in creation. Now I can attest that the lyrics to this song are exactly how cowboys feel. I also once felt this way.

Don’t get me wrong, I think hard work is important. If your livelihood is based in agriculture, there are undoubtedly emergencies that occur on Sundays that hinder church attendance. Also, when I’m out in God’s creation, I do feel close to Him. But a works-righteous mentality, a lack of reading God’s word, and a purposely forsaking God’s clear commands to gather together with the saints to hear the preaching of His word regularly has plagued our cowboy community for far too long. In this rebellion against God’s commands, generations of people have been sent down the wrong trail. They go around drinking, gambling, coveting, fornicating, slandering, etc. just like the world. Yet, cowboys think just because they have worked hard, are nice to some neighbors, or got baptized once that they are okay with God and will end up in heaven. But this isn’t the case—all they have done is created their own idol.

Church family, we need to get out there and evangelize those in our own backyard! Let’s help them get on the right trail and understand the true Gospel of our wonderful Lord Jesus Christ. That they must repent of their sins and not rely on their own works but put their full faith in the finished work that He completed on the cross for us. To change the culture, one first must change the heart with the Gospel.

Keanan Fischer