2003-05-02 - What Kind of Breed Are You?

Some dog breeds are "lap dogs." They don't hunt, aren't very outdoorsy and generally reside indoors like people. They cling to their owners, rarely venturing forth into the world. These dogs can be found lying at their masters' feet, or sometimes literally in their laps.

Other dogs, like my Cocker Spaniel Pierre, are what might be called "working dogs." They are dogs on a mission, and they stay focused on that mission. Whether he is sniffing down a chipmunk, chasing a cat out of the yard (which our birds appreciate!) or chasing a lizard, Pierre remains intensely focused on his goal, regardless of mealtime or whatever.

As Christians, which type of breed should we be? The answer is "both."

Luke 10:38-42 (The Message) As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”

The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Sometimes, we need to be "lap dogs," simply lost in worship of our Lord. We need to adore Him, sit at His feet, learn from His word and the teaching of the people He gifts in that area. We need to be soaking in His word, and obtaining spiritual nourishment

At other times (often both during the same day), we ought to be focused on His mission for our lives-whether it's being a loving mother and wife, working diligently in a factory with God as our ultimate Boss, giving a "cup of cold water" to those in need - or whatever He has called us to do.

It's all a balancing act. We can cloister ourselves too much, insulating ourselves with our "Christian-only" friends, "Christian-only" music, "Christian-only" businesses etc. But then we can lose our ability to be "salt and light," not to mention alienating people who feel we think we feel superior to them. Sometimes we need to hang out with the "tax collectors and sinners," as did our Lord (while of course not compromising our Christian walk).

Other times (and I personally have been guilty of this), we can become so busy, that we don't slow down enough to worship His majesty. We can be so enmeshed with so many activities for our Lord - good in themselves, that we lose sight of Whom we are doing it for, the true purpose.

Sometimes we are Toy Poodles; at other times, we are Cocker Spaniels. To neglect either, is to fail to fulfill God's calling to us. We need those times at Christ's feet, to keep things in perspective and to be replenished spiritually. But other times we need to follow in the youngster Jesus' footsteps. Remember what He said when His frantic parents found Him,after they realized He wasn't in the caravan?

Luke 2:49 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business (emphasis mine)?

Sometimes we need to "be about our Father's business."

I challenge you (along with myself) to keep these two facets in balance.

Jan

 cfdevcfpray@yahoo.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org