I’ve got the ears for the job!

As newlyweds in college, we had very good friends who were expecting their first baby. As typical of college students in any generation, none of us was gifted with multiple streams of plentiful income.

So it was a rather misguided move on my friend’s part to use the money saved up for their baby’s crib to purchase a ‘pedigree’ basset hound. He rationalized his grievous error by squinting into an unknown future seeing litter after litter of highly prized baby basset hounds producing bushels of cash.

One of the valuable attributes of this breed is their incredible long flopping ears. They are striking in appearance. (We know … one of our two ‘granddogs’ is a basset.)

But alas, the ears that were proportional to a tiny pup were the same size when she was pushing 80 pounds! The dog looked hilariously ridiculous. Any thought of breeding her was discarded.

On a spiritual parallel a Christian is supposed to carry some very distinctive markings. How tragic to see a full-sized follower of Christ with non-developed love. To be normal in appearance until it’s obvious to all that patience never fully grew.

For a child of God to be ‘prize worthy’ (“I press toward the prize …” Apostle Paul//Philippians 3:14) and viewed with awe and admiration from those around him, he dare not have missing or stunted features. All should be there and in the proportion that brings honor to the Master.

We, too, are on display just as a champion show dog is. We are surrounded by people who unfortunately know what we should look like and act like. Our Father’s pedigree is perfect and our ‘watchers’ have every right to expect that we look like Him.

This week ask God to continue making you ‘show ready’ … to pump up those sagging spiritual muscles; to grow your love and patience to their intended lengths; to give you a compliant, joyful demeanor.

As we move around the arena of life we’re to turn heads and elicit respect. God’s redeeming work in us is meant to create interest, not snickers.

“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things

he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 New Living Translation