Our two dogs, Doc and Lavender, have been going through Dog Training. It is quite a process. We have to break them of a few bad habits, and create some new ones.
In the last few months, we’ve taught them to wait for their treat before they simply devour it. They’ve learned to leave the treat on the floor while we repeat, “Wait. Wait. Wait.” Then we say, “OK”. At that point they rush to the treat and devour it!!
Another thing we have taught them is to not rush the door when it opens. They must sit and wait until we give them the “OK”. This is especially tough when they want to play! They stare out the door, and have to wait for our invitation to run free! that’s quite a lesson in self-control.
This month, JOY99 is placing a focus on self-control. Self-control is a Fruit of the Spirit. And, it is a tough one!
Everyday, we’re called to exhibit self-control in various ways. From holding off on an another helping, to not lashing out when someone lashes out at us. From keeping calm in traffic, to saying, “No!” to a temptation. Whew! Self-control is a tough one.
What I have learned from Doc and Lavender is that, with some training, you can have self-control. They have done a wonderful job with self-control with waiting to run out the door. But, when they see a rabbit through the patio door? All bets are off! They lose their mind! We have to gently grab their attention. Calm them down, and place their focus back on us, their master.
Very similar to us, huh? We can be cruising along in life, feeling good. Trusting God. Staying in his obedience, and “BOOM!”, we lose all self-control. It’s like we see a bunny through the patio door and lose our mind. Similarly, God gently grabs our attention. Calms us down, and puts our focus back on Him, our Master.