Sometimes good deeds and intentions can lead to bad results. A few years ago my wife and myself dog set for a friend that is on vacation. Her dog went through puppy school with our two older dogs, and the two - the owner and the dog - had become regular fixtures in our dogs lives. We had kept the dog a few weeks ago when the owner went to a wedding, about 36 hours apart that time, and had no problems. So, when the owner was looking for someone to watch her dog for a week we said ok.
Honestly, when we agreed to do this we had several alternative motives. First, the dog was VERY active and ran our two dogs A LOT. So, they fall asleep early and do not start barking at 2AM if the neighbor dogs started. That is a good thing. Secondly, the owner seems to have no local ties and we thought this may be a good step to build a deeper relationship with her. Third, she was a friend and friends help each other.
Problems arose soon after the owner left the dog with us this time. The dog howled and whined ALL night for her owner, she did not do that the first time. The dog insisted on jumping on us when we were trying to go to work - thus getting us dirty. We (the three of us) had spent a lot of time in puppy school teaching no jump. Apparently the owner had not have enforced that at home.
Her dog jumped on the furniture, she did not answer too her name, and did not come when called. The dog also leapt my mower, and escaped when I was going through the back door to our garage. She has tried to pull a gate loose one staple at a time. She destroyed a crate pad when we brought her in to calm her down. She bent up a cage door trying to get out when we tried to bring her in to reduce the howling.
Now I know you are smiling and probably enjoying this tale, but are wondering how this relates to God. Well let me tell you want this has shown me about God and a walk with Him.
Many times we see a need and just assume that we are the one to feel it because we are there. We do all of this without prayer, without doing any research and without knowing the situation. Now, I am not saying that we should not act when we see a need, and when we get ask spiritual questions or find ourselves in spiritual situations we should act. What I am talking about is us taking positions in the body, or doing a ministry, because it is there and we are there. We assume that our physical presence and an opportunity mean that the ministry is the one for us.
When we do these things we hurt our walk, because we are not working where God wants us, and not being fully blessed by God. We hurt the ministry itself, and the walk of the person that God has ordained for that position. Both could and would be improving if we were not there hindering the process. Too many times we assume that without our commitment God would be in need. Bar that thought as being both stupid and vain. In addition, we hurt those that we are ministering too because they are not getting feed by the one God ordained for job.
Good intentions are truly the playground of Satan, if they are not combined with prayer, God's direction, and Christian focus. You may or may not be in a position that I described above, I just wanted to write you this too give you ONE MORE thing too watch out for in your walk with God.
Have a great day, stay strong, be courageous, and serve God in all that you do by serving you where He sends you.
