“Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Philippians 2:5-8
Two years ago we put down what we thought would be our last pet. We had decided that we couldn’t take having to say goodbye to another beloved dog; further, the freedom the lack of pets would afford seemed beneficial. That plan began to erode when our younger daughter’s family rescued a shih tzu last fall. I liked the dog so much that our grandsons regularly reminded me that Leo was their dog and he had to go home with them. As a result we adopted Tiffany in December. She is mostly a sweet and somewhat timid dog, but as she is part terrier, she has an aggressive side as well. In fact, her outbursts of aggression are the primary reason that she ended up back at the humane society after roughly seven months with another couple. While she has historically been fine with all others, she has a tendency to snarl at her owners when she doesn’t want to be disturbed. This is her greatest weakness and the ultimate manifestation of her animal instincts. The difference in her owners is that the first family quickly gave up, but we have enrolled her in obedience school and are working with her to make her a good companion. The goal is to teach her to submit to us in all ways for her safety and well-being as well as to provide more peaceful lifestyle for us all. While none of us likes to be compared to an animal, the fact remains that as Christians we are all like Tiffany in varying degrees. We have this sinful nature that urges us to follow our “animal instincts” rather than to humbly submit to God. Left unchecked, it separates us from God. Consequently, the process of sanctification is in reality obedience school in which we learn to give up control and submit to our Savior, our Master, our Lord and our God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Giving up control is not an easy process; it is counter to our instincts and our culture not to mention that the forces of evil that are bombarding us in order to undermine our obedience. This passage in Proverbs is often quoted as it applies in so many scenarios. For purposes of this discussion, what gives us confidence to let go is the One to whom we are ceding control. We must trust our Lord to submit to Him. As our faith grows, so does our trust. Throughout the process we learn that we must quit trying to firmly direct the events of our lives. Our plans and understanding lack the foresight and the knowledge to be perfect. God has all of the knowledge and ability to direct our lives in such a way that we are properly instructed, corrected, and equipped for a life of godliness and to complete the tasks for which He has designed us. As we grow in faith, we listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead knitting our souls more closely to God. We also come to understand that our assets belong to God as they have come from Him. We are trained to humbly lay our anxieties at His feet and allow Him to invade our lives with inexplicable peace. Finally we learn to rejoice in every circumstance understanding that it is God’s will for us. The more we submit to God’s control in our lives, the more we become like Christ and humbly obey no matter the cost.
“Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.” (2 Peter 1:5-7) The fact that we willingly submit to God’s control in our lives does not mean that we have no control or responsibility. In fact in the middle of this passage from 2 Peter we are told to exercise self-control. First and foremost, we have control over our actions, our habits and how we interact with others; hence the call to diligence, faith, moral excellence, knowledge, perseverance, godliness, kindness and love. We must also exercise caution in choosing the people with whom we associate. While we are called to witness to unbelievers, we are also told to refrain from involvement with those who would pull us away from God and undermine our faith. We must also protect our hearts and minds by carefully discerning what we read, watch, listen to or believe and filter it through the word of God. When we put forth the effort to draw near to God, these things become more natural and replace our negative habits allowing us enjoy the peace of Christ no matter what we face.
The difference between a dog and a human is the ability to reason. Tiffany’s motivation to modify her behavior is based solely treats, however, in the long run, increased affection will be an added reward for as long as she lives. She understands none of that. On the other hand, we have the capacity to understand the teaching of God’s word, compare the costs and benefits, and recognize the rewards not only in this life but in the one to come as well. We can also comprehend the teaching of Hebrews 12:11 which explains that the momentary sorrow of discipline yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. We can also look to Christ’s example in that even though He was sinless, He learned obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:8). For us, the benefits of learning obedience and submission to God’s perfect authority extends beyond this life in that we are enduring for an imperishable prize that will last for eternity (1 Corinthians 9:25). As always, it’s a choice. We can challenge God’s authority in our lives by following our nature or we can allow the spirit to work in us and accept God’s perfect direction over the events of our lives and the lives of the people that we love. In reality, the latter option deprives us of nothing other than useless striving, the fretting, the anger and the bitterness of trying to direct things that were beyond our control. By following God’s precepts, we have a greater capacity make more godly choices for our lives and enjoy a deeper relationship with our Lord.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Will