Dogs are awesome. God made dogs for us as companions and helpers – and to give us pleasure and happiness. Dogs can also provide us with some lessons on how to better Christians. And DOG is also GOD spelled backwards. Maybe there’s a reason for that…
Dogs provide companionship and loyalty. They love you unconditionally and don’t expect you to do much in return – except feed and walk them. And mine expect treats A LOT but that’s my fault. Funny story that doesn’t have much to do with this post. I had my dog in training classes and she and I did not do so well. We ended up in “time out.” And we never did graduate☹
Below are some things that we can learn from dogs:
Love Unconditionally
They don’t care about our status, where we live, what car we drive, who we know, or if we are having a bad hair day. Trust me, my dogs have seen me looking very frightening and don’t seem to mind. They are never ashamed of us or worried if we will fit in with their dog friends. You know how sometimes you can feel the “mean” and “judgment” in people? You don’t get that from dogs. They will always be by your side. They only care that you are there! In our world, we often treat people differently if they don’t come with a certain status or they act in ways that we think they should. Dogs provide a great example of how we should love other people.
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Live in the moment
Dogs don’t have a big master plan or think about yesterday or tomorrow. They simply live in the moment. They take the time to smell the roses and stick their heads out the window. They are not preoccupied with what was or will be. They eat, play, and rest when they want or need to.
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” – Matthew 6:34
Don’t hold a grudge
If you refuse your dog a treat, he doesn’t stay mad at you. Or hold a grudge for even a minute. When we retain a grudge, we give someone we don’t like power over our emotions and it only hurts us.
“Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18
Play!
“And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.” – Zechariah 8:5
Dogs take time to play and love their bodies. Exercise and play are good for the soul and body. We should do more of the same! It would definitely bring more joy and happiness to our lives.
Show compassion
Who is the first to comfort you when you are crying or feeling upset? For me, it’s usually the dogs. It’s like they know when you need comfort or a snuggle. We don’t really know what another person has gone through – or is going through. We should act like dogs, meet them where they are, and show them some compassion.
Everyone is going through something, be like a dog and be there for them.
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32
Accept and love yourself
Do dogs think “I wish I was tall and thin like that Great Dane” or “I wish my nose looked like a pug”? I guess we don’t know for sure but I’m pretty confident that dogs don’t care what others think about them. They come in all shapes and sizes as we do. I don’t think they spend time comparing themselves or wishing they were something that they aren’t. You were made as you are for a purpose. Embrace yourself as you are!
“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” – Psalm 139:13-14
Be loyal
Loyalty is essential to give and receive for building strong relationships. We could definitely learn a lesson from dogs in how we show loyalty our friends and loved ones. Your dog’s loyalty will always be there, even if you feel you have lost everything else.
“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God”. – Ruth 1:16
Greet others enthusiastically
How good does it feel when you come home, and your dog is wagging his/her tail and acting happy to see you? We should greet our friends, loved ones and even coworkers in an enthusiastic manner and let them know we are glad to see them. Maybe don’t wag your tail though…
“All the brothers send you greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss.” – 1 Corinthians 16:20
As you can see, there is a lot that we can learn about how to treat others (and ourselves) from dogs. I know mine have brought lots of joy to my life. Although sometimes they are productivity killers when they are napping or snuggled up and you feel it’s necessary to join in.
It’s extremely hard to lose a pet as they are really part of the family – and I sometimes like them better that other family members. However, I truly believe that I will see them again in heaven. I have read some different opinions about whether dogs go to heaven, but I choose to believe that they do. I told my daughter that one of my visions of heaven involved sitting on a soft cloud with lots of pillows, coffee and chocolate with soft fuzzy dogs all around – but they don’t poop, pee or bark in heaven.
REFLECT
If you don’t have a dog, think about getting one. They are awesome! Do you have any other thoughts on what we can learn from dogs?
Next post is what we can learn from cats. Just kidding – I like cats but not quite the same situation if you’ve ever read the thing where it talks about the mind of a dog and a cat.
