Faith like a Dog
We are well into the “dog days” of summer.
I have noticed we [Christians] can learn a LOT about living the life of Jesus follower, simply by observing our beloved canines. There’s a chance some readers might not receive this as “sound theology.” It’s all just an observation.
Here are FIVE traits of FAITH, we should embrace as Christians, learned from [good] dogs. ENJOY.
ENTHUSIASM
Puppies have two speeds: asleep, and hyperdrive!
My children’s dog Cleo (pictured for this article) has such a fantastic and physically-charged greeting, her rump almost knocks you down with nature-defying, tail-wagging physics.
“The JOY of the LORD is your strength!”
Nehemiah 8:10
Other than caffeine… what puts ‘fuel’ in your ‘tank’ every day?
2. OBEDIENCE
STAY! FETCH! COME!
There are two kinds of attitudes regarding obedience:
* Those who LOVE to follow the rules; and
* Those who LOVE to break them.
Okay, maybe there’s a third category:
* Those who are okay with following the rules, as long they agree to them.
Dogs can hear better than humans (Cats can hear better than dogs, but for the sake of this article, we all might agree that if I wrote in favor of CATS, I would lose a majority of the audience).
Not only do dogs HEAR their owner, but they DO what they say!
I am willing to throw out a theory, that a primary reason people love dogs MORE than cats (on average), is because we LOVE it, when our pets actually DO what we WANT them to do.
Dogs are obedient. Cats like to weigh their options.
Regarding faith … Do you respond to God’s promptings like a dog? or a Cat?
“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it.”
Jesus, Luke 11:28
3. GRUDGELESS
Dogs are like fish (if you watch Ted Lasso on Apple TV, you’ll get the reference).
Dogs have a fantastic memory, but they seem to forget the bad stuff.
A guy who became known as Ram Dass, a philosopher and author, wrote on some insight he had about being less judgmental. He said something to the effect that when people look at trees, that’s simply what they are. They can be any shape, size, condition or age. People appreciate trees for their uniqueness, and then keep on going. I LOVE that.
Honestly… my human nature bends me towards stereotyping, profiling, even “calling a spade a spade.” My high school buddy and I even had a saying, “A spade is a spade for a reason.” That’s pretty funny as a kid, and possibly somewhat true, but definitely not a “high road” way to think.
When people look at, interact with, work alongside, etc. other people… we begin to make judgments.
”I’ve decided to try to treat people like trees,” Ram Dass concludes.
“Do not judge, and you will not be judged.
Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”
Jesus, Luke 6:37
4. FORGIVENESS
Don’t fool yourself.
There is a wide gap between being “grudgeless” and embracing forgiveness. Aiming your heart in a new direction (away from some one, or some situation) may create distance, but it does not offer the freedom your soul needs to heal.
Dogs seem to embrace the epitome of unconditional love. It doesn’t matter how strongly a person trains their dog, or the number of times dogs need to be corrected, or how many times they’ve been locked in a house or a car all alone… perhaps hours upon hours even, dogs seem to know how to forget every reason to hold a grudge against their master, and forgive them.
“IF you forgive those who sin against you, THEN your Heavenly Father will forgive you.
But if you DON’T forgive others, then neither will your Father forgive you.”
Jesus, Matthew 6:14-15
5. TRUST
Trust is the belief that someone or something can be fully relied upon, because of the consistency of their nature. When couples take a marital oath, they promise to trust one another. When divorce occurs, I would predict that at some level, one or both parties became inconsistent with their nature, regarding a vow to love, honor, respect, etc.
God, however… IS consistent. [“For I, the LORD, do not change.” - Malachi 3:6]
When we exercise “faith like a dog,”
we are able to RELEASE ALL of our insecurities, about ourselves, our environment, our finances, and our future.
Dogs TRUST their masters. They understand their nature, their habits, their patterns, and that they can depend on them. There is an undeniable, supernatural bond between dogs and their masters.
“My sheep know my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.
No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me,
and He is greater than all other things.”
Jesus, John 10:27-29
LORD… help us embrace “faith like a dog,” in Jesus’ name!