My Dog is Broken

A Lesson Learned: by Robin Thomas

My dog is broken.

He is an Australian Shepherd who thinks he is a Lab. When people come to the door, even people he sees every day, he barks that annoying repetitive bark. And he won’t stop. I have to "lock him up" in his crate when someone comes to the front door because a big dog barking is intimidating. People will come in my house and go over to his crate revealing that they are indeed a “dog person”, but he gets more agitated and barks faster and louder. If I let him out of his crate while they are there he is the sweetest canine alive. He is broken.

Why does he do it? He thinks that is what he is supposed to do. He is protector and he will take care of his pack. It is habit, it is going through the motions.

I think too many of us do the same thing in our Christian lives, we get "locked up."

We go through the motions. We have a “quiet time” because that is what “good Christians” do, but all the while we are thinking about the hair appointment we have later and whether we will get a few more bangs or try red highlights instead of gold; or “did I turn the curling iron off?” Or my favorite, “Who just texted me,” when you hear that little "ding". Very little quiet happening there.

We go to church because that is what we are supposed to do. We show up on Sunday so God will bless us for the week, or so we can get credit for filling in the blanks on our sermon notes. It is a well known fact in the Church world that you get "brownie points" in heaven for excellent Sunday attendance, right? This is like my broken dog. He is a perfectly healthy, lovable animal but he defaults to his “bark mode” when he is triggered by the door. Do we default to “church mode”?

We only rob ourselves of the glorious richness God wants to bestow on our lives when we go through the motions, instead of truly being present in the moment and listening for what God so wants to reveal. "Cease striving and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NASB) So cease striving and pray a little prayer, "God help me hear what you want to tell me today." That's it. Done.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:1-2)

Don't be a broken dog!