If you were at church this past week you had the chance to see how well-behaved my dog Barkly is. If you weren’t there, you missed a rather fun object lesson. John 14:15 says, “If you love me you will obey my commandments.” While I was teaching, Barkly was on stage with me showing everyone how obedient he was. Sitting when I said “sit.” Lying down when I said “down.” Walking obediently right by my left leg when I said “heel.” And running to me from across the stage when I said “Barkly come.” He performed quite admirably showing himself to be a very obedient dog.
It was a different story Sunday afternoon.
I was upstairs reading when Reesah came running into my room and said, “Dad, come quick! Barkly is playing too rough with Max and isn’t listening to anyone.” As I ran out to the backyard I saw Barkly jumping up on Max and thoroughly ignoring any command Max gave him. Compared to his behavior earlier that morning it was as if I had two different dogs.
As I thought of Barkly’s drastically conflicting behaviors I was reminded of what the Apostle Paul said in Romans 7. In that chapter he talks about his own duality. One day walking in obedience to the master, the next day walking in sin. In verse 23 he says that there is a war being waged within. A war between his spirit’s desire to please God and his sinful desire to please the flesh.
Amidst this struggle he laments, “What a wretched man I am!”
Do you ever feel like Paul? Or Barkly? One moment committed to obedience and the next moment choosing disobedience. I think both Barkly’s Sunday afternoon antics and Romans 7 epitomize the plight of the human race.
Thank God (and I mean that – thank God!) for Romans chapter 8. In light of our goofy and ongoing duality it could be really easy to become discouraged and wonder how in the world could God love knuckle heads like us?! Yet Romans 8:38 & 39 brings peace to the conflicted and self-incriminating mind.
“I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth nor any powers, nor anything else in all of creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Nothing! Not even our sinful disobedience. Wow this is good news. In my “Barkly moments”, I am prone to get really discouraged and to berate myself. These two verses remind me that God’s grace has me covered even when I am at my worst.
So hear this my friend – I still love Barkly a ton even though he was stupid yesterday afternoon and God still loves you even in the midst of your own “Barkly moments.”
~Rob
