They are sweet and make me laugh, But, they can try my patience at times. Unlike Piper's dog, Dusty, my pugs are not perfect. So, if you, Father, so taught a beast with no soul, no moral or spiritual capacities, to live that kind of life, how much more should her master feel ashamed that even with the Holy Spirit I struggle to do those things? Her youth at eight seems to be renewed like the eagles. She holds no grudges whatsoever, no matter how she is treated. She overflows with affection without testing your character first. Piper's dog, Dusty, is a God glorifying type dog since we know that Piper wouldn't have it any other way. Lastly, they help us to feel shame which is a good thing in Piper's theology. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” Job 12:7–9? “Ask the beasts, and they will teach you the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Secondly, pets fall into the category of God-saturated fascination and joy. Piper claims that God obviously wanted us to have animals.Īnd besides the sheer usefulness of animals - like a horse to get around once upon a time or fish for food or cows for milk or worms for the soil or sheep for sacrifices and sweaters So, you have to figure that one out for yourself. Piper goes on to say that he has no mathematical formula for assessing what is too much time. But even if it is modest, would that time, if you had no pet, be devoted to more refreshing, more encouraging, more edifying, more loving, more God-glorifying tasks? The question with regard to time and money is not only whether it is exorbitant - which it can be, but shouldn’t be. Instead of spending too much time and money on your dog, you could be performing more edifying activities. When I got her, it took a year for her to even sit in the same room with others. I believe that God smiles when sweet Petunia can happily greets a stranger to our house. I can assure one and all, that never once has my conscious troubled me as I have played on the floor with my pugs or having spent hours rehabilitating Petunia who was terribly abused by her former owner. No pet is worth the damaging of your conscience. So, if your conscience is indicting you for the money you spend or the time you spend combing your dog’s fur or scratching her behind the ears, you should stop, stop. Is your conscious indicting you while your scratch you dog's ears? So, in Piper's world, was a newborn baby, a deathly sick child and another daughter (4 yo) clamoring for attention from her terribly stretched parents to be viewed as seducing me away from the glory of God? For example, when my daughter had a brain tumor and my son was born between her two surgeries, my life was filled with merely coping, along with prayers in between the difficulties for God's strength. How one goes about assessing this, in my opinion, is quite difficult. In other words, just about anything can divert us from keeping our eyes constantly on God.įood can and health can and family can and church can and work can and every hobby under the sun can and sports can and all manner of entertainment can and cars can and clothes can He goes on discuss all sorts of things that can distract one from the glory of God such as food, health, hobbies, etc. The first thing I would say is: Surely, yes, pets can take up too much of your time and too much of your money, Piper makes this statement at the beginning of the audio transcript. It is my understanding, from SGM Survivors, that CJ Mahaney, whom John Piper loves, discouraged his followers from having dogs since the money they spent on dogs or other animals could be money given to the church to support their *programs.*ĭogs can distract you from giving God glory Unfortunately, John Piper decided to answer a question on dogs, Do Pets Distract the Christian Life?It appears that his answer is "yes" and "no." As usual, the man is confusing. Our Lord God has made his greatest gift the commonest. The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Since I am dealing with John Piper, I believe a quote from a theologian he might respect is in order. They love unconditionally, make us laugh and break our hearts when they pass away. I have always viewed dogs as a special gift from God. A number of years ago, I read "First Friend," part of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories.This story dealt with the Adam and Eve in the Garden. Dogs have brought me great joy in my life. As some of you know, I currently have three rescued pug dog: Lily, Petunia and Tulip (double entendre intended, bless her heart). I am writing another short post today as well. “I’m suspicious of people who don’t like dogs, but I trust a dog when it doesn’t like a person.” Origin unknown
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