King Solomon was one of the first people to compare human beings with dogs. In Proverbs 26:11, he uses a vivid image to prove his point; “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats their folly.” A fool is one who is bamboozled, duped and hoodwinked over and over, not learning from previous mistakes. Like the Israelites mentioned in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11, their failures are documented as a reminder not to live like a dog.
Like a dog who is never fully potty trained, the author of Hebrews suggest some Christians don’t mature as they should in Hebrews 5:11-6:3. Depending upon your upbringing, some people are born into un-churched homes, growing up without ever going or entering church on Christmas Day and or Easter Sunday. Others attend a church who either does not know how to disciple others or glances over essential details young Christians do not know how to apply. Thus, new believers often become like my 11 year old Beagle named Autumn, still dumpster diving into trash cans, regularly going to the bathroom in the house and not sure how to act and play like a normal trained dog.
When the apostle Paul first visited the Island of Crete, he was astonished by their lack of manners, people skills and social interaction with others. Cut off to the civilized world, most of the citizens of Crete were barbaric. Thus, Paul had to address the most basic skill in his letter, teaching their church to do what is right, Titus 3:1-11. Paul also lays out the expectations and standards that leaders should uphold, Titus 1:6-9. Essentially, everyone from time to time, needs to go back to obedience school, touching up on the basics of Christianity written in the Bible. If you practice what Jesus taught in the 4 gospels, you will put the dog days of summer behind you!
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 