Photo by: miss.mayday!

One more take on assumptions: A collared dog tied to a 12 foot rope finds a way, without breaking its rope, or shaking its collar, to reach a bone that is 15 feet away. How does he do it?

Am wondering if a riddle this could help us come to terms with difficult puzzles of the Bible. For example,  In the 7^th chapter of the Apostle Paul’s first letter to  the Corinthians, he wrote, “This I say, brethren, the time has been shortened, so that from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none; and those who weep, as though they did not weep; and those who rejoice, as though they did not rejoice; and those who buy, as though they did not possess” (1Cor 7:29-30 NAS).

Almost sounds like Paul is playing with our heads doesn’t it.

But before going on, let’s go back to the opening puzzle. If we found ourselves trying to tie the rope to the dog’s tail instead of its collar, etc, what if, instead, we learned that the rope simply was not tied to anything but the dog’s collar. What if the dog dragged the rope 3 feet to the bone because, although the rope was tied to its collar, the other end was tied to nothing? Or what if the other hand was in the hand of its owner who was happy to let the dog get its bone?

Now Paul: In this case, if the problem seems difficult, could it be that we are assuming that radical Christ-centered faith is a tie down that will leave us feeling confined and restricted.

How many of us have already found the surprise we get in the middle of radical devotion to Christ? Haven’t we already discovered that focusing on how much Christ loves us actually leaves us with more love for others, more honest emotion, and more perspective on what God has entrusted to us– than if we were primarily focused on a spouse, our emotions, or our possessions?

Isn’t the surprise that as we learn to respond to the love and faithfulness of our Lord—first—we find ourselves far more free than we ever imagined (1Cor 7:35).

P.S. Summary: Radical devotion to Christ (growing out of the growing realization of how much he loves us) leaves us with more love for others…with more perspective on our emotions… and with more understanding about the value of possessions… rather than less…

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