As I have shared in a previous devotion, Daisy was quite challenging as a young dog. A border collie/chow mix, Daisy quickly asserted herself as the alpha female of our family. It was clear that she expected us to be her submissive followers. After hiring a professional dog trainer to teach us what to do and spending lots of one-on-one time training her, she had a better understanding of her place in our family.
In the process of training Daisy to do one of her tricks, she became my teacher as she taught me an important life lesson…how to deal with temptation! The lesson began when I started training Daisy to wait for her treat, instructing her to “leave it”. She could not eat it until I released her to do so.
I started her training by placing the treat on the floor away from her, commanding her to “leave it”. She would look at the treat and many times lunge forward to grab it. A sharp “NO” as I scooped up the treat helped her realize that she lost the treat when she didn’t wait. I would place the treat on the floor again. If she waited and obeyed my “leave it” command, Daisy got the treat along with lots of praise and petting. However, it was still hard for her to control the urge to snatch the treat. In the course of training, I slowly moved the treat closer to her. Daisy would gaze longingly at it and try a sneak attempt to get the treat. Over time, she developed a strategy that always worked. She never looked at the treat.
It was almost comical to see how quickly Daisy averted her eyes from the treat as I leaned down to place it on the floor. She knew that even a glance would weaken her resolve. Instead, she steadfastly and stoically gazed at me. The moment the treat was placed on the floor, she immediately transferred her focus to her master. Eventually, I was able to place the treat on or in between Daisy’s paws. I could even walk out of the room and stay gone for several minutes without her eating the treat in my absence.
If Jerry was in the room when I left, he reported that Daisy’s eyes followed me as I left the room. Her eyes remained fixed on that place waiting for my return. What a wonderful visual of how to avoid succumbing to temptation! When confronted by unhealthy desires, I can fix my eyes on my Master, Jesus. I can learn to avoid the places and situations where I know temptation lurks for me. I can transfer my thoughts and focus to Jesus.
Scripture confirms this strategy for avoiding evil. Hebrews 12 tells us that we don’t have to get entangled or hindered by sin. Instead, we can fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. Colossians 3:2 instructs us to set our hearts on things above, where Christ is seated, not on earthly things. Philippians 4 confirms this as it tells us to keep our thoughts focused on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy. Jesus is all of these!
The “leave it” command was especially important for keeping Daisy safe from harm. At times, there would be rotting garbage or animals alongside the road that we didn’t want Daisy to touch or ingest. She probably didn’t understand why we weren’t allowing her to have these enticing, fragrant treats. However, Daisy learned to leave the objects alone and direct her attention back to us. Pleasing and receiving praise from her master was an incentive and reward for obedience.
Sometimes, we don’t fully comprehend the lurking danger in the temptations we face in this world. We are constantly bombarded with messages that contradict God’s Word for our lives. These messages can influence our thoughts, attitudes and behaviors as they take a “strong hold” on our lives. 2 Corinthians 10 reminds us that we have access to God’s divine power to demolish these strongholds. God’s power enables us to take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ.
When you are faced with any temptation, try Daisy’s trick. Transfer your gaze to your Master. Fix your eyes on Jesus. Trust Him to satisfy the desires of your heart so that you lack no good thing!
