My two dogs never cease to amaze me. Especially the youngest, Bennigan. This morning I was eating oatmeal and after finishing my oatmeal I set the bowl on the arm of the couch. Well, Benni has this thought that whenever you have finished eating, he is entitled to clean the bowl. I honestly don't know how or when he developed this mindset as we have never actually allowed him access to our empty bowls, on purpose anyway.
As soon as he noticed the empty bowl, he began to deploy several different tactics to get a taste of the remnants of my dish. The first move was bold. He jumped onto my lap and did a nose dive for the bowl. I caught him, just as his tongue was headed for my bowl, and set him back on the floor. After wondering around the living room for a few minutes, he settled onto the arm of the couch next to me, overlooking my cereal bowl. He proceeded to stare at me, eye to eye for a short period of time. I don't know if he was trying to intimidate me but it wasn't working. He quickly jumped down only to then resort to desperate measures. When Benni becomes desperate, he will take his paw and gently scratch at your face. It is one of the funniest things I have ever seen. I think he might be part cat. So, he jumped back on the couch and onto my lap and sat there for a few second, while giving me the sad puppy dog eyes he lifted his paw and attempted to scratch at my face. I laughed and then picked him up and again placed him on the floor. Instead of waiting to see his next pathetic attempt to convince me that he needed what was in my bowl, I decided to place my dish in the dishwasher and save him the pain of more rejection.
What fascinates me about my dogs is that they are so driven by their desires that they don't see the potential outcome of their actions. Benni has no idea that eating 'people food' is simply not healthy for him and, depending on the food, could possibly kill him. He only knows that it looks and smells appetizing and wants a taste.
This morning, God reminded me that I often live my life the same way. I often live chasing after my desires without realizing the potential outcome of my actions. One of my biggest temptations is technology. I can't tell you how bad I want an iphone. On several occasions I have been tempted to 'just do it' and purchase an iphone. Thank God, up to this point, I have been able to step back and see the big picture. It is important that we ask ourselves honest questions about the outcomes of our actions. Can I afford to spend over $70.00 a month on a cell phone bill? What about the extra costs, music and apps? What will this do to the time I spend with my wife? Will I pay more attention to the phone than her? How will this effect my friendships? Will it cause others to be jealous? Where is the phone made? Does it negatively impact the environment? Will it really help me to be happy?
What would it look like to apply this way of thinking to every area of our lives? What if we examined the outcome before we said that, or before we purchased those clothes, or before we went to that movie, or before we began a casual friendship with that person of the opposite sex, or before we had one to many of those to drink...
The way of Jesus is a holistic way of living. It's not just about belief. It's about letting God impact every area of our life. It's about centering my life around that which will bring more shalom (peace) to earth. It's about diving into and embracing my desires and not allowing my desires to dictate my actions. It's about being fully present and fully human. Living a life of anything less is living a life short of how you were created to live.