When You Trust Completely
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A dear friend just completed a master test with his prized yellow Labrador retriever. “Jackson” is a sweet, 5-year-old athlete who has been at his master’s feet since he was first weaned. My friend started investing his time every single day to teach Jackson to respect his master’s voice, to learn basic obedience skills that would keep him safe, to swim, to listen, to learn instructions, and to obey the commands that could bring out his very best in the field. Every day, he would gain a unique privilege: he went to work with my friend and was part of the life and work of his master.
If you have ever been around a dog that does not respect his/her master, you know what it means to be annoyed, frustrated, or angry. A dog is essentially a wild animal that has been domesticated to some extent. Some are calm, lovable, enjoyable companions because they have learned appropriate boundaries and behaviors. Others are unpredictable and risky. They simply operate by their instincts and their instincts are not necessarily safe for human beings. If you bring that dog into an appropriate submission and respect for the owner, their whole world opens to a unique freedom within the human world.
I have encouraged my friend to develop a talk about his experiences, and at some point, I hope he’ll be available for a Beast Feast talk and demonstration. As I listened to him talk about the joy of seeing Jackson compete and run, it was so easy to see parallels with God’s plan for us. God chose to create us and to include us in a world of His making, not because He needed us, but because we needed Him. He invites us into relationship and intimacy with Him, and when we trust Him completely, we find that He opens the door to a whole new life. His commands are trustworthy. His intentions are trustworthy and He lovingly cares for us by setting firm boundaries. If we don’t trust Him, we run wild, putting ourselves in miserable conditions, isolation, and danger. But if we trust Him completely, we are led into healthier, opportunity-rich, and affection-rich life with Him.
Today, my friend has already taken Jackson for a run and they have played with boundless joy. As I write this, Jackson is resting at the feet of a master who loves him and cares for him. And he will be with him all day. My friend will rub his tummy, feed him good things, include him in his day, and introduce Jackson to many customers who will enjoy him and bring enjoyable rubs and scratches all day long. All of this is possible for Jackson because he trusts his master completely.
I wonder what we are missing when we decide to ignore OUR Master’s voice?
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