Seizures, Shock Collars, and Jesus.
By: Carey O’Connor
We had these peculiar neighbors in New Mexico. They had several animals, all of which were either blind, had terminal illnesses, were crippled or missing limbs. They took these animals in, I assumed because they had tender hearts and figured no one else would care for them. However, one would have to wonder how tender their hearts really were after observing the shock collar on the dog that they just told us frequently suffered from seizures. Hmmm… Now I’m not a doctor…or even a dog person…but come on now. Common sense would say this was not a good combo - seizures and shock collar. They had about a 5-foot cinder block wall between our property lines to keep the seizure dog and all their animals enclosed. This dog was always trying to escape…to no avail. He’d take a running start and then bzzzz (that’s my shock collar impression) the darn thing would get him and he would limp back, tail between the legs in defeat.
Then one afternoon, while my husband, Jeff, and I were sitting in the backyard, we witnessed the amazing great escape. Seizure dog had a different look in his eyes this day – a different swagger. As we watched him make a run for what we thought was another exercise in futility, something amazing happened. As he leaped through the air, we saw the point in which the shock collar bzzzz’d (yes, I am now making my noise into a verb)…the dog’s neck cranked to the left while his whole body seemed to freeze in mid air. Seizure dog buckled down through the shock, snapped out of it, and cleared the 5-foot wall through our yard and into the streets he ran. Hooray for seizure dog. He did it.
Now if you can get past the offense of being likened to a dog, track with me a bit through my attempted analogy. Often times Christians live as though our master puts us on some sort of a leash. Whether it’s a long leash, a short leash, or a shock collar, we view Christianity as a limited space, a list of do’s and don’ts, where we need to stay within certain boundaries. We can run as close to that line as our leash or collar allows us, but if we get too close, we get zapped. We live in this legalistic, law mindset where the good Christians stay in their yard and the naughty ones are always trying to escape. Either way, it doesn’t sound like freedom to me. Why in the world would we want to live that way? With this common mindset, we reduce Christianity to sin management and we’re missing the big picture. Don’t get me wrong…our God is a holy God and despises sin. But I think we’re going about it all wrong.
Allow me to propose what I believe Jesus really intended. In the Bible, Jesus was always presenting ways of living out the kingdom of God that were counter-intuitive. For example, the last shall be first, you want to receive then give, whoever humbles himself will be exalted, etc. Well what if we chose less freedom to get more freedom? If we’re going to keep using the leash and shock collar analogy, let me posit this: forget the leash…hold me by the collar, Lord. Then I would never be in danger of straying from your will. Maybe that’s the mindset shift that needs to take place. Keep me as close to you as possible so that I can hear your heart and do your will. When we see our relationship with the Lord as trying to keep from sinning, we’re missing the point.
He wants to transform us from going about our own business, living our own lives, all while trying to not get zapped along the way, to instead living our lives with Christ at the center and being about His business.
John 15:5 keeps coming to my mind…“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” When we choose for our Master to hold us by the collar, to remain in Him and He in us, we are giving up our tiny bit of so-called freedom for more freedom and purpose than we could ever imagine. Apart from Jesus, there is an enemy who would love to take advantage and rob us of this fullness of life. John 10:10 says that the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. See, what seizure dog didn’t know was that there was a pit bull named Bob across the street who would have loved a seizure-dog-snack. He thought he was escaping to freedom, but in reality he was in danger of forfeiting it all. If you are on the leash, you’re in danger of boredom and if you’re jumping the wall, you’re in danger of destruction. Either way you’re in danger. Matthew 10:39 “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.”
When we hold on to our lives, we miss out on the intimacy that comes from surrendering completely to Jesus. When you choose to be held by the collar, you will be held so close that He’s not just a part of your life; He is your whole life. Your thoughts, talk, and actions, will all be submitted to His will. What grieves Him will grieve you. What He is about, you are about. When you choose to be held by the collar it becomes less about trying not to sin and more about living perpetually in God’s presence, partnering with the God of the universe, and allowing Him to transform every fiber of your being.
We are all crippled, blind, lame…in need of a loving master to heal and transform us.
Allow Jesus access to hold you so intimately that He can give you life to the fullest degree possible…how life is truly intended to be lived.
H.M.B.T.C. (HOLD ME BY THE COLLAR!)
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