Trained

I have 2 geriatric Pugs that share a house with me.

Their 3 missions in life are to eat, sleep, smell, and shed.                   Pretty much in that order.   

When I say the word “Pug”…. Immediately in your mind you picture a cute, busy, happy, lapdog that never has a bad day. 

However, when I say, “Geriatric Pug”….                                                   A different picture comes to mind. 

A geriatric Pug wants 3 things…. First, snacks…. at all times.  Nothing dominates a geriatric Pugs mind more than enjoying a good snack. 

And don’t even start with me about how dogs are supposed to resemble their owner ~ that is not necessary. 

Second, sleep…. if a geriatric Pug is not snacking…. then he is sleeping. 

Third, a geriatric Pug really really really does NOT want to play fetch or tug-of-war with you.  “Playing” is about as appealing as eating a cucumber. 

Anyway, I said all that to set up today’s observation.

Bubba Joe and Daisy eat their snack and then demand to go outside. 

See, immediately you assume that I have them so well trained that they want to go outside to do “business”. 

But you would be sorely mistaken. 

The Pugs want to go outside…. spend the necessary amount of time…. then come back in because…. every time they come back in…. they get a “treat”. 

One thing is clear, if I stand outside and wait for them ~ they will spend forever wandering around sniffing blades of grass or examining the ways of the grasshopper. 

However, if I get a cup of coffee and settle down in my chair to read a book ~ then ~ and only then…. Will they demand to come back into the house. 

So how do I know when they are ready to come back in the house?  Bubba will start barking.

This morning as I was reading.… Bubba started barking…. and without thinking…. I jumped up and headed for the door. 

It was then in there, I realized that Bubba has me trained. 

He barks and I jump. 

I give him commands and….. he pretends to be deaf. 

One day, I forced him to make eye contact with me when I gave him a command…. And he responded with, “Sorry, I don’t speak English.”  At least that was how I interpreted his look of annoyance. 

In fact, when I give commands…. He doesn’t even lift his head.  

So there is no question, who has who trained. 

The spiritual application for this is simple….                

When the world “barks” do you jump? 

“…. Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?”  I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”  James 4:4 NLT

When the world makes a demand of you or tempts you with a wrong desire ~ How do you respond? 

Do you ~ without thought ~ jump to your feet and respond to comply with whatever the world is demanding that you do? 

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?  You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living.”  Romans 6:16 NLT

Bottom line: whose voice do you respond to?