Fearless Faith

Alpha dogs

 

April 13, 2022



After losing two long-time canine buddies last year, we were reluctant to jump back into a new puppy situation. It wasn’t that we didn’t care for the companionship. It was about having to once again go through the painful stages of adapting a pup to the place, establishing pack rules, setting boundaries (including behavior around the cats) and then having the patience to stick it out. In the back of our minds exists the perfectly well-behaved dog, one that rarely needs correcting and who does not damage everything in sight. Yes, we firmly believe that dog to be out there somewhere.

We had forgotten about those first few hours away from the littermates. The whining was pathetic and persistent, something that all training books emphasize must be ignored. The piercing cries surprised us in their volume and intensity, yet we successfully undergirded each other’s resolve to respond in appropriate ways. We are, after all, representative of the alpha dog, whether we desire that to be the case or not. It is what the puppy needs to understand in order to become not only a behaving member of our household, but one which thrives.

It’s hard not to respond purely on an emotional level. Hearing plaintive cries, genuine or otherwise, elicits a reaction in most persons that demands a response. Even when it is the incorrect thing to do, human emotion frequently overrides common sense. It is in those moments when reinforcements come in handy. When we are unable to think for ourselves it is helpful to have a clear head nearby to get us through until we, too, can see things with greater focus.

In our haste to be “good” followers of the Gospel, we’re not always good. We rush to judgment, unable to ignore the cries of the church demanding immediate attention, too often lacking the ability to distinguish the alpha dog from those whose direction obscures. We confuse obedience, uncompromising adherence to rules, with life that springs forth from faith. Then we further compound our misunderstandings by declaring there to be only one understanding, one interpretation, one response to the cross. We should take our charge as alpha dogs more seriously — not to wrest control from others, but to establish healthy patterns of Christian tolerance and understanding. Expect whining and crying to accompany the process. Old habits are hard to break, new patterns of behavior difficult to learn.

“The One who comes from above is head and shoulders over other messengers from God. The earthborn is earthbound and speaks earth language; the heavenborn is in a league of his own. He sets out the evidence of what he saw and heard in heaven. No one wants to deal with these facts. But anyone who examines this evidence will come to stake his life on this: that God himself is the truth. The One that God sent speaks God’s words. And don’t think he rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to him so he could give it away – a lavish distribution of gifts (John 4:31-33, The Message).

In the back of our minds exists the perfectly well-behaved Christian, one that rarely needs correction and who does not damage everything in sight. Yes, we firmly believe that Christian to be out there somewhere.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 

Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation
© Copyright 2024

Rendered 02/18/2024 23:41