Monday, September 27, 2010

Giving the Illusion of Obedience

This is a picture of Rocky, who was the beloved and devoted dog of Faye and family. Doesn't he look noble?

Look - he was gentle with children:

And he appreciated people of all generations:

Was he not the perfect dog? Here's a story about Rocky.
One day, Faye finished patting out five juicy burgers, placing them on a plate, ready to be grilled. In the next room, the dryer dinged. Wanting to spare ironing, Faye needed to grab the shirts before they could wrinkle.

Then her eyes met Rocky's. Relying on his past reliable obedience record, Faye backed Rocky into a far corner, had him "sit", and told him firmly to "stay!" She zipped around the corner, retrieved the shirt, and popped back into the kitchen. There was Rocky, sitting perfectly in the corner.

"What a good dog!" Faye told him, reaching for a treat. Resisting temptation surely deserved a reward. Then she looked at the plate again. Four burgers, not five.

It seemed that Rocky had obeyed, but he had not. "Surely your sin will find you out!" In our own behavior, we can fool other people. But we can never fool God.

What bad behaviors have others hidden from you? What do you find the most challenging thing to resist? What do you like on your burgers?

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