If I am out for my run at a particular time each morning, and if I take the same route and pass the same house at about the same time, I always run into the same problem.
This house has a black lab puppy. Beautiful dog.
Now the dog itself isn’t the problem. She’s usually a house dog, and at this particular time of day, she’s chained outside to take care of her morning business.
Now I have a 4-legged running partner: My golden retriever, Salida.
This isn’t the problem either. At this stage in our route, Salida is always leashed.
As we approach this house, the black lab always runs to the end of her chain, barking a merry welcome. Salida always begins to pull on her leash as well, trying her best to go over and say “hi”.
Again, this isn’t the problem. I know that because the black lab is chained, and because Salida is on her leash, the two can’t reach each other.
The owner of the black lab always comes running out as we go by, yelling at the dog to stop barking (after all, it is usually early in the morning), and I always see the owner reaching down to check if the chain is securely fastened. And at this point I always shorten Salida’s retractable leash and make sure she is also well under control.
Again, no problem here. We are simply being responsible dog owners, trying to protect our pets from potential harm.
So wherein does the problem lie?
The problem, friends, lies in the fact that the dogs are both VERY unhappy! They don’t WANT to be kept under control. They want OFF those chains and leashes!
It makes me think of us, humans. Sometimes we feel like we are on a chain. If we want to live like good Christians, if we want to live in the image of Jesus, there are certain things we simply should not do. God gives us a list of these in the Bible. We are told to: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices.” (Col 3:5-10 NIV)
God gives us a great summary of his rules: “Jesus replied: ‘”Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.'” (Matt 22:37-40 NIV)
But wait a minute! We are told: “It was for freedom that Christ set us free …” (Gal 5:1 NASB). If we are free, as this text states, why do we have to obey these rules?
Friends, we have these “rules” for the same reason Salida and that black lab are not allowed to come into contact with each other! Because God wants to protect us from potential harm! Just like the leash and the chain provide protection for the dogs, God’s laws protect us! They keep from hurting ourselves, they keep us from hurting others, and they keep us from being hurt by others.
Let’s stop fighting God’s laws! Let’s start seeing those “chains” for what they really are: means of protection! Let’s trust God enough to be happy that He cared enough to give us His rules to live by!
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Mother of two teens, Speech-Language Pathologist, Author and Moderator for The Nugget, a tri-weekly internet newsletter, and Scriptural Nuggets, a website devoted to Christian devotionals and inspirational poems, www.scripturalnuggets.org , with Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org