If you’ve spent any significant amount of time around me, you know I love dogs. I’ve worked with dogs for the past five years. I believe that my house will never truly be a home if a dog does not reside in it as well. I’ll now take this perfect opportunity to show off my own dog, Rudy.
I firmly believe that he is the sweetest, cutest dog in the whole entire world. But enough on that.
Dogs are so much a part of my life, that I can’t help but relate them to my walk with God.
Now, now… don’t roll your eyes. Just bear with me.
Part 1: The Leash
Leashes are so misunderstood, by dog and owner.
How often do you see dogs pulling their owner down the street? These dogs see the leash as a barrier from the exciting smells and adventures that are in the world. Dogs misunderstand the leash.
On the opposite end, how often do you see an owner pulling their dog down the street, choking it along the way. In the world of training this is called “Tow-barring.” The dog has no option to make the right decision to walk along beside it’s owner because it’s being pulled. Owners misunderstand the leash.
The leash is actually a beautiful thing. A well-trained dog knows that it’s leash signifies a connection to it’s master. The leash represents safety. It represents direction. On a leash, the dog cannot wander into the middle of the street where it’s life could be taken by a car. When approached by an aggressive dog, a leashed dog is actually safer because it’s master can pull it away and avoid the backlash of their own dogs attempt to defend itself.
One in the same, God gives us the law. The law is a beautiful thing.
Wait, what? Did she really just say that?
YES! The law is so misunderstood, just as leashes are. The law is an amazing, beautiful thing. Just as the leash is a connection to the dog’s master, the law is a connection to our Master. If we view the law as a barrier to “the exciting smells and adventures that are in the world,” we actually miss out and put ourselves in danger.
God gives us free will to choose to follow the law. Tow-barring is not His way. We are given the option to walk along beside God, following His law, or to take things upon ourselves. The law keeps us from subjecting ourselves to things that will bring us harm, and it keeps us from the backlash of our attempts to take things into our own hands.
In conclusion, just as the leash is a GOOD thing.. the law is a GOOD thing!
As much as we initially want to pull away and go our own direction, we need to learn to trust our Master. He knows where we’re going and what we need to get us there.
See? That wasn’t so bad, was it?
Stay tuned for Pt. 2: You’re going to do WHAT with those clippers!?
