Monday Morning Manna: A Living Dog

I was in a group recently where people were discussing what kind of dog they would be if they were a dog. One was sure he would be as aggressive as a pit bull, while another who’s desire was always to seek people in need, decided he would have been a Saint Bernard. I’m sure I have been several breeds over the years, but in my senior years I’m convinced I am like an old firehouse dog, perhaps an aging Dalmatian. All this type of dog knows is when the bell rings, get in the truck. For me, every time the phone rings, or the e-mail dings, or the text message beeps with an invitation to speak, I am prone to say “Yes.” I never really learned how to say, “No” to an invitation for ministry. In fact an elderly minister once advised me to “Never say ‘No’ to an invitation to speak on behalf of Jesus.” This habit of saying “Yes” occasionally has caused me to take on too much. I think I must have been absent the day we covered “Pacing” in Seminary class. So I’m still responding, still saying “yes,” still ministering. My advice? Learn to pace yourself, but don’t ever quit. Not sure it applies, but the writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, “A living dog is better than a dead lion” (Eccl. 9:4).

Dr. Dan Crawford, Senior Professor at Southwestern Baptist Seminary, is the WestCoast Baptist Association’s Spiritual Life & Leadership Mentor. Follow Dan on Twitter @DrDanRC and Facebook www.facebook.com/dan.crawford.