Another Lesson From A Golden Retriever

About a week ago, I let Angel out of the house in the evening. She saw a couple of deer in the field behind the parsonage, and was off (chasing the deer). She eventually came back, and even in one piece. I don’t know what went through her head, if anything, but a few thoughts went through mine. First, I hoped that she would not get hurt … a dear can do a lot of damage. Second, I wondered what she would do if she actually caught it (fat chance of that). I also wondered how far she would chase it and when she would be back.

Now, you may be wondering where I am going with this. Well, it is an interesting analogy for sin. When we are tempted, we usually know that pursuing the temptation is a bad idea. We know it’s wrong. Yet, there is something interesting or intriguing about the temptation. That’s the way Satan designs it. It’s like a fish taking the bait only to find a hook in its mouth. Or, like our dog, she saw something of interest and took off after it. Whether by antlers or by hoofs, a deer could do serious damage to a dog. Likewise, sin WILL do serious damage to us. It’s claws sink in deep and we are scarred by it. Many times other people get hurt by it (our sin) too.

Similarly, if we chase after a temptation and commit the sin, the question is, what are we going to do when we “catch it,” or rather, it catches us. Like a dog catching a deer that is much too big for it, sin is much too big for us. It only takes a moment, and a person is trapped and/or addicted. Praise God, Jesus can set us free!

Finally, like a dog that may give chase for a long time, people can chase after temptation and sin for a long time. They can hurt many people in the process and do irreparable damage to their relationships and themselves. Sin always has consequences. Sometimes the consequences are worse than others. Sometimes the consequences are delayed. However, sin always leaves its mark.

So, what’s the point? When temptation comes, think twice before running after it. Consider the cost. It will never be worth it.

In His grip,
Pastor Decker