Walking the Dogs

Genesis 6:5
“And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

I love to walk the dogs. Both Wallace and Kobi are energetic, vibrant, and enjoy going on walks. One of the harder parts of walking them (especially both at the same time) is how much they pull and tug and want to get at each other. Due to their energetic natures this can make walks difficult sometimes. They tug and they pull, they yank and they run, they bark and they yelp, they are always pushing the boundaries of their leash. Even when rebuked and made to sit for a time, what is the first thing both dogs do when allowed to move again? It is exactly as you can imagine, both dogs shoot off like bolts of lightening!
I really do love walking the dogs, not just one at a time either. Despite their tugging it is a joy see their happy demeanor as they frolic about in the grass and walk along the road. The difficulty of the walk comes in maintaining control of the situation even as both of them pull to gain control. It is quite evident from the moment we step out of the doorway till the moment we arrive back at home, the dogs want to be as far out on their leash as possible, even if it requires them to pull hard enough so as to choke themselves! Regardless of my cautions and warnings, the dogs within moments are nigh out of breath for all the pull they have done. Their desire is not to be close to the person they are walking with, clearly their desire is to run free and be off of the leash entirely.
I am reminded of a lesson by my wise mentor Rev. Helopoulos concerning sinful nature:

Our sinful desire is not to be as close to Christ as we can be, even if we are Christians. Our sinful desire is to find out far away from Christ we can get without displeasing him.

Do I desire to do my saviors will? Praise God sometimes I do! In fact, I have been made a slave to Christ and set free from the slavery of sin (Gal 5:1, Mat 25:21). Praise God that he has made me his slave and he has released my from the leash of sin! I am still sinful, although it is not my chief end. I am still rebellious, although it is not my greatest cause. I am still pulling on the leash of Christ, like one of the dogs I pull, I yank, I tug and I bark. All the while my sin trying to get me as far away from Christ as possible. Praise Jesus that he is forgiving and interceding at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty so that my tugging, my pulling, my Jonah like attempts to flee from his commands, are rebuked and forgiven.
Unfortunately much of the time when I do attempt to discern God's will, I seek to know what is acceptable within the boundaries of my leash. I want to know what God allows me to do and how close to sin I can come, rather than seek to rejoice in my savior and stay as close by his side as possible. What words can I get away with using? What television shows can I get away with watching? What internet sites can I get away with clicking on? What can I get away with? There are times when I feel as though Genesis 6:5 is an indictment against me.

To quote a hymn which often moves me to tears:

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

I do certainly tug, pull, and yank hard in this life filled with joy and pain. I do often seek to know how far away from my savior I can get before getting reeled back in. Yet despite all that, I am still attached to Christ. He is King, He Reigns, and it is He who loves me enough to pull me back to himself when I have gone out too far. Sometimes I let the dogs run 10 to 15 feet out on their leashes, other days I keep them close by my side. The days they learn the most to be self controlled and in accordance with my will are the days I keep them close to myself. Praise Christ that he cares enough to use his means (His Word, His people, His bride the Church) to rebuke me, keep me close, and sanctify me by keeping me close to himself. Right now I live Justified, whilst being Sanctified, there will be a day when the leash will be gone and I will have no other desire but to be like Christ continually, in that day, I will be glorified.

Want to read more about being a slave for Christ? Read what John MacArthur has to say @:
http://www.biblebb.com/files/MAC/80-321.htm