Faith Family Football Challenge #2Sample

READ: MAT.6.19-33

The Dog Days of Summer

I used to walk my dog - a big yellow Labrador retriever, Sundance, every day in the big 15 acre field across the street from our house.  It was a time I use for starting my day with prayer by spending time with God as I walked around in the cool, fresh morning air.

One morning, the irony of my dog’s actions spoke to me in a big way in three areas.  Let me explain.

1. I originally trained my dog to find birds while hunting, but with raising a family, it eventually got to hunting tennis balls.  As time went on, that dog would run right by a pheasant for a tennis ball!  Like other dogs, Sundance loved to fetch the ball and was completely obsessive in that vision when it came to playing ball.  I’d throw the ball - she’d fetch the ball and bring it back.  A pretty simple concept. It didn’t matter if she had to go through water, over and under obstacles, through weeds and sticker bushes; she knew that this was what I wanted her to do and she did it no matter how difficult the situation is or how comfortable or uncomfortable she was. Pure obedience.  Her job was to get the ball back to me as her Master. 

Point #1: God has given you a vision, a purpose for being here.  

2.  There were times when my dog was actually TOO focused on the task and not listening enough to me (the Master) despite the fact that the task was correct.  For instance, once, early in my training of her, the ball went into the street with a car coming and the dog literally went under the car to get the ball.  The good news is that the driver (my neighbor) saw the dog and stopped in time so as not to run over the dog, while the dog happily returned to me with ball in mouth, completely oblivious to my screaming and yelling for her to stop and the potential danger.  She was just happy to do what I had been training her to do – get the ball.  But in the midst, she forgot to listen to the Master’s voice.

I then trained her that my voice or interactions were the most important thing in any equation of our time together.  Ironically, one morning the ball ended up rolling into traffic on a busy street as we were coming back across the street to return home. I blew my whistle three short shrill blasts, which meant to “sit - right now - no matter what.” The dog was wired to “go” as soon as I let her, but listened to my command for her to “sit” and “stay” so that she would not be hurt.  When traffic cleared, I released her to go get the ball.  She was happy, I was happy! 

Point #2: Will I choose to be obedient, listening to God, even if it seems like the wrong thing according to the world or makes me uncomfortable, or even takes me momentarily away from the task He has asked me to perform?  I want to be obedient – no matter the cost, no matter my status or reputation in our culture.    

3. There were times that just amazed me in playing with my dog.  I could throw the ball without the dog knowing where it was or hide it somewhere, and I could send her in the direction and in the middle of high weeds she would walk right by the ball, but then suddenly she would turn to find it based on her keen sense of smell.  Or she would look to me for direction and I could point for her which way she should go - and she would. She was paying attention to all the clues that would allow her to find the ball without distractions. All of her senses were tuned to finding the ball.  However, sometimes in the middle of our fetching routines, a stray smell would distract the dog, leading her the wrong direction.  She would completely forget about the ball and why we were out there in the first place.  She’d be off on her own and almost no amount of yelling, whistling or anything allowed her to know she was off track, off task.  I actually had to walk up to her and give her a “nudge” to knock her out of this distraction.  The interesting thing was that when I would walk up to her in these situations, and she would get focused back on me, her Master, she realized her mistake and her ears and head would drop in submission as she recognized her error.  She was sorry and then we’d be right back on track. 

Point #3: We all have Sin nature.  There is no way we can avoid it.  The pursuit of financial security, a bigger house, a better lifestyle, self-gratification (pick your sin and insert here!) -  All of these may be great distractions for us, taking us on a detour from God’s will for our lives. And once we realize it, we’re embarrassed and remorseful, but it happens over and over again.  God is nudging us, whether through our finances or situations, through our prayer and friendships, to get our attention back on Him.  Some of us choose to continue on in our sin.  Others actually turn away and try to get onto the task again.  

The WRAP UP:  Sin is sin. We’re stuck with it. It’s why Jesus had to die on the cross for us.  We cannot just wish our sin nature away.  We cannot just try harder.  It’s impossible.  God is God and we are not.  We are to serve Him here with the gifts he has given us, in the dream that He is asking us to pursue on behalf of His purposes.  Not for our comfort or our needs – it’s for Him. And He loves us like crazy through all of this!  

TAKE AWAY: The task or vision is given by the Master – we are to pursue it and return it to Him - with interest and doing our very best.  The commands are given by the Master – we are to listen to Him – no matter what.  It’s for our own good.  There is a big picture that only the Master can see.  Bottom line – pay attention and listen to the Master in everything you do! And if you want a good example of unconditional love here on earth, get a dog! They’ll love you like crazy too!  And remember our goal through this whole time: F.A.M.I.L.Y.® = Forget about me, I love you! Love your neighbor as yourself.   

ASK God to show up, to join you in your time with Him today.

READ: HEB.4:12

WRITE:  What’s your mission? What is it that God has called you to but maybe you’ve been to distracted with other things to pursue it fully? And what would it take to start pursuing it? You have a dream and God is the Dream Giver! 

MEDITATE:  Pray for your mission in life, for knowing more about what God has specifically for you and what you are passionate about.  Pray for those ongoing F.A.M.I.L.Y.® moments that you can act on every single day in your life - and do it!  

VIDEO:

Jim Nance, CBS Sports Commentator

FINAL THOUGHTS: You stuck it out for 7 days.  Great job!  I hope this has been helpful for your spiritual growth and understanding that God really does care about YOU, and that YOU are part of His plan here on earth.  Hopefully these 7 days has set you on a course for continuing to spend time with God every day.  Get in the game!  There are lots of great reading plans that you can continue with through The Bible App to keep you on that F.A.M.I.L.Y.® path!  Press on! 

© 2017 fspn

If you liked this reading plan, try our Faith Family Football Challenge #1 at https://www.bible.com/reading-plans/3570

Special thanks to “Big Mike” for allowing me to share his brilliant concept of F.A.M.I.L.Y.®