Puppy Training: Day 5

Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.                                  Hebrews 12:7,8

 

“Many people try to win the puppy over by letting him have his own way. They shower love and affection on him just because he’s so cute and cuddly and because they want him to grow up to be their friend.”   

We’ve all seen (patient) puppies that will allow themselves to be dressed up in baby clothes and wheeled around in a stroller. The humor comes from the doggy face inside the frilly bonnet and the puppy paws sticking out of the baby dress.

To state the obvious: Puppies don’t grow up to be babies or toys. They grow up to be dogs. As the behaviorists have affirmed, “dog-hood” imprinted in the core self of their DNA. The best pet owner is the one who respects that identity and shapes their puppy into the best dog it can be.

Unfortunately, Christians can also become confused about who we are. We look around and judge our circumstances by the world’s standards. We dressing up in the world’s clothes and assume its identities only to discover these roles are   ultimately false to our true identity and purpose.

Scripture tells us that the proof that we are God’s children is His on-going shaping and training process in our lives. What you may be presently experiencing in the way of discipline or difficulty isn’t nearly so much about God as it is about you. What may feel like punishment or abandonment is the process that is designed to uncover the nature of true reality, to equip you for your eternal destiny, and shape your real identity and purpose as a child of God.

Nancy Shirah