Don’t be a Beagle
What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:21-23
When we take our dogs, Roscoe and Lulu on hikes they both start off on a leash through the campground. They are excited to run and explore and pull against their harnesses. But for their own safety, from other dogs – especially the neighbor’s pit bull that runs free, and because it’s the campground rules, we keep them close and on a leash.
Once we are in the woods we can let Lulu off her leash, but not Roscoe. No matter how hard he pulls, even to the point of causing himself harm through breathing, he cannot be let off his leash because he runs and doesn’t return. He stubbornly goes his own way and won’t listen to our calls for him. He has a rebellious attitude that looks directly at us – then goes his own way. So for his own good, he has to stay on his leash and unfortunately misses out on what could be a grand experience.
Lulu, however, runs around jumping over logs and exploring. She enjoys her freedom but never goes out of our sight. She always stops on the trail to wait and look for us. One call and she quickly returns. She enjoys the whole experience because she is submissive to our will. She often runs back just to be with us. Being in our presence makes her happy and she is always grateful for the outing.
I was thinking about the dogs while reading a bible study and then the very next words of that study were, “We are no more hardwired to rule our own lives than a beagle!”
We are so like our dogs in that we often have a rebellious stubborn streak, wanting our own will and way. Because of that we miss out on all that God has for us. For our own protection we are not allowed the freedoms that we could be enjoying if we fully submitted to God’s will and way.
What benefit do you reap by living a rebellious and stubborn lifestyle, thinking that submission to God is slavery, when in truth, it’s the submission to God that sets you free? Free to explore all that He has for you. Free to be in His presence. Free to know that you are protected and watched over, never out of His sight.
He desires to spend time with you and He desires for you to live in the freedom that He has to offer. It’s a simple choice of who you will submit too. Submit to God and experience freedom.
