I love seeing dogs off-leash on the trail. While there are notable exceptions, if a dog is off-leash, it’s almost always because its master knows that it’s under voice command – in other words, the dog won’t jump, won’t bite, won’t harass hikers, and when the master says a word, the dog will be right back at their side. It’s a beautiful thing to see a dog and master with that level of trust and freedom.
Sometimes, I feel that as Christians, we live under the rule of a leash instead of under voice command (or as David puts it, eye command (Psalm 32:8). We’re restrained by the leash of rules, so we don’t fall into sin (usually – even leashed dogs can jump up and knock me down). But that’s not the best kind of relationship for us to have with God. We get the actions right (we’re by the Master’s side), but we’re restrained instead of trained.
A well-trained dog is happier and freer than one that is restrained on a leash. The leash is necessary to keep the dog under control and from creating an issue that will harm both the dog and those around them. But a trained dog is free to wander, free to roam, free to do its doggy stuff – always with an ear for the master’s voice and cues that it knows.
A well-trained dog loves its master. It knows it can trust the master to provide for its needs and to alert it if there is danger in the area (a fox, for example). The master can truly love the dog, too, and to trust it with not only freedom, but also to follow its own nose because the master knows it will always respond to the master’s voice.
Rules will restrain us, but training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:18) will free us. I love seeing Christians who are well-trained – not that they know everything or never sin, but they are under “voice command” of the Master. They love the Master and trust Him; they are free to do whatever they want (see 1 Corinthians 10:23), but they are still always tuned to hear their Master’s call. In that situation, we’re much less likely to fall into sin than when we’re restrained. A dog on a leash will run straight into trouble, but a dog who knows its master’s voice will stop when called. I hope and pray I will live trained, not restrained (1 Corinthians 9:25).
