We have a dog -- Sierra. She has been part of our family for a long time now. She was a rescue pup and must've had a tough time of it before becoming one of ours. But since then she is an outright member of the family -- unconditionally accepted as one of our own. While it is nice when she contributes to the family, there are no expectations on our part that she will work for acceptance. Anyway, when she does contribute, she only does what is in her nature to do -- nothing extraordinary -- just routine dog things. We love her because she is ours not for what she does for us.
However, after all these years of caring for her, loving her, protecting her, providing for her -- she still doesn't trust us completely. Most likely she was abused as a pup. Somehow this abuse must've involved treats. Because Sierra will not accept treats from us -- in fact, she runs from treats. No matter how much we reassure her, no matter how many times we don't hurt her -- she still won't accept treats from us...she doesn't trust us to love her unconditionally.
Who ever heard of a dog who won't take a treat from her master's hand?
How my life resembles Sierra's. I, too was a rescue pup -- welcomed into the family of believers at an early age. Unlike Sierra, I was always well-loved -- never abused. Even so, I still don't always trust my heavenly Father to love me unconditionally. I still don't always receive blessings without considering what might be asked of me in return. As if there is anything in the world I could do that would make me worthy of God's blessings! I see myself in the following verses:
Romans 7:21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
And I find hope in these:
Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
It is my desire to live according to the Spirit -- filled today and tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow in order to be pleasing to God.
Romans 8:5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
Exit Benya...Enter The Warrens!
10 years ago
