03.10.10
Puppy Wisdom
Most of you know that Kathy and I have a puppy in our home. She was a Christmas gift from my daughter Kelly. Her antics have caused us much laughter and frustrations over the last few months. One thing that has really stood out to me as I have watched her become part of our family is her natural tendency to copy whatever our other dog Emma does. She is like Emma’s shadow. If we call Emma, Anny comes also. If Emma runs, Anny runs, even if she doesn’t have a clue why she is running. If Emma lays down, so does Anny. It has been real easy to train Anny because she learns by copying Emma. Why does Anny do this? Because dogs are pack animals.
Its surprising how much we are just like Anny. God designed us to be part of a group, a pack. And like Anny, we will begin become like the pack we most associate with. Let me say that again, the people we will end up copying are the people who are our pack: the people we hang out with most. God understood this and warned us about the importance of picking the right pack to be a part of. Look at the following passages:
1Cor. 15:33 Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
Prov. 22:24-25 ¶ Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared.
The warning is very clear. We become like the people we hang out with. Now its time to be honest with yourself. Who is your pack? Who influences your life the most? Just because you go to church or are a member of a church doesn’t mean the other members of the church are your pack. If your pack doesn’t consist of people who help you become more like Christ, then you need to get a new pack. This may be difficult, but it is worth the effort. It easier to live the Christian life when your pack is living for Christ.
P. Mark
