For the past year, my wife and I have been the proud parents of a seven-year-old silky terrier named Melvin. We got him last July through a friend of a friend. Melvin’s past owners realized that, thanks to two newborn children, their life was incompatible with owning a dog who needed exercise and attention. They felt that the best thing they could do was to find him a good home. Upon hearing this from her friend, my friend who knew my family used to have a silky terrier contacted me and asked if I was interested. Sure I was!
From the first day that we brought Melvin home to today, we have had a blast with him. One of the things that I’ve noticed the most about owning a dog is that there’s nothing that brings me greater joy than watching him be exactly what he is. When he’s chasing squirrels up trees in our backyard or gnawing on fallen sticks or rolling around happily in the grass, Melvin is fulfilling the role of what he was created to be: a dog. Dogs bark, chase, run, eat, gnaw on bones, sleep, jump, lick. If a dog isn’t doing any of those things, they’re not being a dog. And I don’t think a dog likes a life where he’s not allowed to be his full “dog-ness.” I love enabling Melvin to be a dog and playing with him and letting and helping him enjoy who he is. When he is who he is, I take delight in it.
Since owning Melvin, I have often mused if that isn’t exactly the kind of delight God takes in when He sees His children fulfilling their humanity. When God sees His children run, dance, sing, write, laugh, and do the things that they love to do with all of their might, God shares in that delight. When we are doing and BEING exactly what we were designed and meant to be, it is joyful to God.
Conversely, when we’re not fulfilling our full human-ness, when we’re falling short of what we’re made to be, it brings distress to God. I only own Melvin; I did not create him. I cannot imagine what it is like to watch your creation be anything less than you designed it to be. I cannot imagine watching your creation worship pieces of wood and curse the name of their creator. This is what sin has done, not only to our relationship to God, but to our relationship with ourselves.
So, if you’re struggling to figure out how to bring delight to God and to your life, consider reading the books of 1 and 2 Timothy in your devotional time. They are letters from the apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy. Timothy was becoming a pastor of a church of Ephesus, and Paul is writing to him to encourage him in this role since Timothy had a timid personality. In these letters, you can hear the love that Paul has for Timothy and is writing to him very much as an elder to his son. He wants Timothy to succeed and grow and flourish as a leader and, more importantly, as a Christian. Even though Paul’s words were directed to Timothy, they are definitely encouraging words that we can apply to us.
My prayer today is that God will guide you to who you were made to be and that he might take delight in you being wholly human and wholly His.
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”
– 1 Timothy 6:11-12
– Matt
1 Timothy2 TimothybebeingdesigndogfulfillGodhumanityjoyMelvin
What We’re Made to Be
July 7, 2011
Calvary
Comments Off on What We’re Made to Be
Matt
For the past year, my wife and I have been the proud parents of a seven-year-old silky terrier named Melvin. We got him last July through a friend of a friend. Melvin’s past owners realized that, thanks to two newborn children, their life was incompatible with owning a dog who needed exercise and attention. They felt that the best thing they could do was to find him a good home. Upon hearing this from her friend, my friend who knew my family used to have a silky terrier contacted me and asked if I was interested. Sure I was!
From the first day that we brought Melvin home to today, we have had a blast with him. One of the things that I’ve noticed the most about owning a dog is that there’s nothing that brings me greater joy than watching him be exactly what he is. When he’s chasing squirrels up trees in our backyard or gnawing on fallen sticks or rolling around happily in the grass, Melvin is fulfilling the role of what he was created to be: a dog. Dogs bark, chase, run, eat, gnaw on bones, sleep, jump, lick. If a dog isn’t doing any of those things, they’re not being a dog. And I don’t think a dog likes a life where he’s not allowed to be his full “dog-ness.” I love enabling Melvin to be a dog and playing with him and letting and helping him enjoy who he is. When he is who he is, I take delight in it.
Since owning Melvin, I have often mused if that isn’t exactly the kind of delight God takes in when He sees His children fulfilling their humanity. When God sees His children run, dance, sing, write, laugh, and do the things that they love to do with all of their might, God shares in that delight. When we are doing and BEING exactly what we were designed and meant to be, it is joyful to God.
Conversely, when we’re not fulfilling our full human-ness, when we’re falling short of what we’re made to be, it brings distress to God. I only own Melvin; I did not create him. I cannot imagine what it is like to watch your creation be anything less than you designed it to be. I cannot imagine watching your creation worship pieces of wood and curse the name of their creator. This is what sin has done, not only to our relationship to God, but to our relationship with ourselves.
So, if you’re struggling to figure out how to bring delight to God and to your life, consider reading the books of 1 and 2 Timothy in your devotional time. They are letters from the apostle Paul to a young man named Timothy. Timothy was becoming a pastor of a church of Ephesus, and Paul is writing to him to encourage him in this role since Timothy had a timid personality. In these letters, you can hear the love that Paul has for Timothy and is writing to him very much as an elder to his son. He wants Timothy to succeed and grow and flourish as a leader and, more importantly, as a Christian. Even though Paul’s words were directed to Timothy, they are definitely encouraging words that we can apply to us.
My prayer today is that God will guide you to who you were made to be and that he might take delight in you being wholly human and wholly His.
“But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called…”
– 1 Timothy 6:11-12
– Matt
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1 Timothy2 TimothybebeingdesigndogfulfillGodhumanityjoyMelvin