A Tale of Two Dogs

Several months ago I heard this story mentioned on the radio, and I thought it would be a good reminder to us. In case this story is ever deleted, I posted it here from Dustin Dedrick of God Updates.

The Story

“Once upon a time, there was a dog that lived in a sprawling house in the middle of the city. Though the house had plenty of doggie toys and plenty of room for play, the city dog hated being cooped up inside. Day after day, it looked longingly out the window and past the fenced-in yard around the house to the street where cars zoomed and pedestrians rushed by. The dog made little use of its spacious accommodations, choosing instead to focus on the doors that were always closed and the curtains that were always drawn.

Every evening, the city dog anxiously awaited the arrival of its master, not because it loved the master but because the master’s arrival provided an opportunity for escape. As soon as the dog heard the master’s keys jingle outside the door, it attempted a mad dash out of the house and into the yard. But without fail the good master, with a pained expression of disappointment, made sure the dog stayed inside where no harm might befall it. Wearily the dog would retreat to a corner of the house and start planning its next escape.

A dozen miles away, there was another dog. This dog lived in a one-room house set on a sprawling country farm. At one edge of the farm’s borders was a cliff overlooking a rushing river. On the other side was a dark forest. But no fences were present. The country dog was free to roam the farm, but it usually preferred to stay close to the front porch. It worried that if it strayed too far, it might miss its master’s arrival.

Every evening, the master’s arrival was the highlight of the country dog’s day. As soon as the master came into view, the dog would bind to his side to greet him. It followed close behind him, wanting to get into the house, not because of anything special inside but simply because it was where the master stayed. Each day without fail, the master showered his love and affection on the country dog and then led it inside the tiny farmhouse, where it wagged its tail with great contentment. Even in a shack, it was so satisfied to be in the master’s presence that the outside world held no power of attraction for it.”

The Moral of the Story

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.”

John 8:36 NKJV

Many people believe God’s Word limits and restricts instead of protects; that we are enslaved and not allowed to do anything or go anywhere fun and exciting. That is the furthest from the truth. There is much freedom when it comes to Christ, but also that freedom is free of fences as well. When we focus on the Master, we don’t need fences.

Take into consideration porn blockers like, “Covenant Eyes“. I’ve tried it many years ago when I was new in my walk. It is a good concept, but when I really needed to do some research on a story or bible study, I couldn’t access certain web content because of the advertisements. Not to mention that it cost money and every time I hit something that wasn’t really bad at least in my mind, it triggered a warning from my accountability partner. It was not only annoying for me, but then dragging someone else into my mess was counter-productive. We spend more time focusing on the boundaries than we do the Master to whom we want to please.

But, when we focus on the Lord, we are free to roam, run, and play; for when I look to Him and His Word, I know where the danger spots are, the places not to go, and I freely stay near the safety of the porch. Fences may keep us from harm, but love for the Master and wanting to serve Him is what keeps us from fences.