What can dogs teach us about freedom?

We have two German shepherds. Archer is 11 years old and perfectly well-behaved. Because he listens so well, he has almost unlimited freedom. We can walk through stores. He can be off leash for hours, running in the forest or down the road. When something happens and I need to put him on a leash, he trusts me and doesn't fight it.

And then there's Brady, our ten-month-old German shepherd puppy. Even though he went through the same professional training, which did help a little, I still don't trust him. More importantly, he does not trust me. We can only rarely take him into stores. If we let him off leash, he has to stay close; he loves to chase the deer. And I would never let him run down the road. He might never come back.

What this means is that when he sees Archer's freedom, he doesn't understand why he can't be as free. He hasn't put two and two together: obedience leads to freedom.

Isn't this the same as with us? As we live obedient lives toward God, we gain freedom. As we recognize that the covenantal guidelines are for our own good, we find more joy.

But if we don't live obedient lives, our lives are more controlled by our sin and passions, and we lose freedom. As Paul says, we are either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:16), and there is infinitely more freedom in being under the control of righteousness.

For example, we probably all know people who are controlled by their anger. It is as if anger is their best friend and they will do anything to protect it. They rationalize their anger. They let other relationships go away as they hang on to their best friend, no matter what it costs them. You could replace "anger" with any other addiction and it would be true. Why else do people prefer alcohol or meth even when it costs them family and friends. I know this is a bit simplistic but nonetheless still true. They are not obedient to God's covenantal guidelines and they live in bondage, not freedom.

And let's be honest. The reason we don't always obey is because we don't always trust. At times I shake my head in disbelief when I catch myself not trusting God. This is the God who made and sustains all things, and he is as loving as he is powerful. This is Jesus, who loves us so much that he, as God, became something that he was not, human, so that we could live in a loving and obedient relationship with him.

And yet at times I resist his leading and try to run down the road without my leash. And I lose freedom.

I want to be more like Archer.