I enjoy giving my dogs special treats. It might be a meat bone or a dog treat. Our two dogs have always reacted differently to food you give them.
Bailey, our Golden Retriever, snatches it as quickly as possible. She will eat it as fast as she can. If it is a bone she will grab it up and run to a safe hiding spot to enjoy it. She can go through as many dog biscuits as you will give her, literally woofing them down without even tasting them.
Fleece, our huge, furry, solid white Great Pyrenees, is right the opposite. Fleece apparently thinks, even after four years, that everything we give him is possibly poisoned! Fleece will take it in his mouth, go sit it down, and smell it for a time. If we sit the food down, he will stand over it and look suspiciously at us for a few minutes. He always eats it, but he takes lots of time and is in no rush!
When I consider these two different dog paths to treats, I see two human paths to life. Some people just open themselves up to anything someone else tries to give them. They want to fit in and will take whatever the crowd is offering. When the world pushes it, they want to be the first to jump on board. While others exercise self-control and are suspicious of what the world is offering.
Why is Fleece able to be so patient and self-controlled with his food, while Bailey, like most dogs eats it as quickly as possible? The reason is simple, Fleece is secure. He doesn’t feel threatened by any other dog. Bailey believes she has to eat her’s fast and hide quickly to prevent Fleece from getting it. Fleece knows he has the strength to eat it when he wants it and he can choose to reject it as well.
This same lesson applies to us as Christians. Understanding our strength and security in Christ is necessary for self-control. Self-control is product of the Spirit’s work in our lives (Gal. 5:23). If our security, strength, and trust is in God, then we can patiently, wisely make a good decision about what the world is offering! We can exercise self-control! While I love Bailey, this trait of living out of fear and eating everything thrown your way, is a dangerous way to live our lives. Satan ensures through the temptations of this world that many supposed “treats” will be thrown our way. If we don’t have self-control, we swallow up many harmful practices and sins that can destroy our lives.
