Redefining Good

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5 ESV

Last week, our dog Hope was attacked by a neighbor’s dog. The two have been friends for years, but for some reason, the other dog turned on Hope and bit her on the back. We’ve taken her to the vet a couple of times now to clean the wound and get her started on antibiotics. The vet has assured us that Hope will be fine, but the whole ordeal has been rough on Hope. She trembles, hides in a corner of the exam room when the vet walks in, and pants as though she hasn’t had anything to drink for days.

The thing is, she doesn’t understand why she needs to go to the vet in the first place. We, as her owners and human beings, grasp the importance of those visits for her healing, overall health, and well-being. She resists getting in the car, refuses to enter the exam room, and stubbornly snubs the antibiotics so necessary for a full recovery.

This morning, I saw a bit of myself in Hope’s behavior. I tend to balk at the unfamiliar, shudder at the uncomfortable, and refuse to take my dose of ‘medicine’ when God dispenses it. I would much rather stay in my safe, comfortable, and familiar surroundings than trust God to do what is necessary for my own good. Even though I know He loves me and wants His best for me, I hesitate to trust Him and allow Him to lead me into unfamiliar places.

But comfort zones don’t require a great deal of faith. Living constantly in the ‘familiar’ doesn’t stretch my faith or grow my trust in God. Clinging to the ‘comfortable’ doesn’t teach me dependence on God or deepen my level of obedience.

That’s where faith has to step in. Because sometimes our greatest good is found, not in the commonplace but in the testing of our trust.