Tuesday Devotional

Max’ism: Know Your Weaknesses

Genesis 39:1-12

Miniature dachshunds are known for many things. Loyalty. Unwavering devotion. Back problems.

Yes, unfortunately, these playful, active, bundles of energy are susceptible to injuries with their elongated spines. My husband went online to research the problem after a couple of the men he works with told him there were steps we could take to help prevent any future trouble.

Apart from surgery, he found several websites that offered some pretty simple solutions. Watch your pet’s diet. Keep their weight under control. Don’t let your pet jump off furniture.

Um…

Max doesn’t “jump” off furniture, he leaps. Literally. If we strapped a cape on him, he’d be Underdog. So for the last week and a half, we’ve been following him around the house, like parents with a toddler, trying to keep him from jumping off anything higher than a footstool. It hasn’t been easy, or successful. No matter how many times I scold him, he just likes to jump.

Which got me to thinking. I can trail Max around the house from dusk to dawn, but unless he realizes that jumping can harm him, and chooses not to do it, my efforts are in vain.

So it is with sin. There are just some things that are a greater temptation to me than others. Conquering that temptation sometimes means avoiding certain situations. Does that involve soul searching? Absolutely. Does it involve honesty? Definitely.

But more importantly, it means staying close to my Lord and Savior, who knows me even more intimately than I know myself, and asking Him to show me those parts of my character that I need to recognize and deal with.

After that, it’s as simple as knowing what my weaknesses are.