One of the neat things about training a good retriever is watching him begin to associate that wonderful nose he has with what he was made to do; hunt. If that dog were left alone and not trained, he would use his keen sense of smell to fulfill his basic need; food and companionship. On the other hand, with the help of his master that gift is employed in ways that accomplish much greater things.

Watching a dog use that gift in full submission, perfectly obedient to his master’s instructions, is a perfect picture of what God wants for each of us. But the key word is submission, and when that is in place there is no conflict or hesitation, only joy in doing the master’s bidding. What the master desires has become the desire of the servant because the servant has faith that what the master desires is the best for him. With that premise well founded in the servant he will be able to walk in perfect peace.

 Isa 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. ESV 

During that time in my life when I was training hunting dogs, I worked with many older dogs that were brought to me without that mindset and the learning of that lesson was sometimes painful for both of us. But sooner or later the dog decides to stop fighting, settles in, and determines that following the master is a much better way than being headstrong and self-willed. Only once did I fail to help a fine dog make that transition. Old Ace just would not submit to my teaching and no matter what I did he was resolved to do things his way. I could have beaten that dog into submission and used my power to override his will but what would I have; a perfect machine that only operated out of fear and took no joy in his work; a dog with a heart under constant tension between his way and my way; a dog that found no joy in doing what he was created to do and would forever look for ways to override my command?

It is always about our will. Who are we serving? Who are we submitting to? Whose voice are we being obedient to? We have the choice to fill our lives with peace and joy, but we must choose the obedient lifestyle if that is what we truly want.  God will no more override our will than I would Old Ace. The best result comes by following the master out of love; the path of perfect peace.

But do not expect God to somehow accomplish His Perfect Will magically for you without your participation. The key is to submit and listen to the Master’s voice and to accomplish that we need to focus on Him.

1. Be united to Him – abide in Him and be at His side all the time.
2. Live your life according to His teaching – let His Word abide in you and learn the lessons He teaches you.
3. Commune with Him – listen to His voice and be obedient to His every command.
4. Be faithful to Him – believe and understand that everything He asks you to do is for your benefit

This is just one of the things the Lord showed me one morning among many lessons those beautiful retrievers taught me. You can read the full article here… Born To Serve. It is also a tribute to one of the best teachers that God has blessed me with.