We have a German Shepherd. They are amazing dogs. They were bred to be rugged working dogs. Our dog loves to do her work of watching the neighborhood and letting us know what is happening with her well timed bark. The only time that the church was ever broken into was when she was away on vacation at my in-law’s farm.
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She loves going to the farm because she loves being able to run outside at her leisure. When Crystal and I were first married we tried having her in the house with us, but she became very agitated because she felt cooped up. Not all dogs like the same surroundings, but our dog loves the outdoors.
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We devised a cable system for her to run on and installed a heated pad in her dog house so she could stay comfortable in the cold winter months. Considering that German Shepherds are made for the cold with their rich double coat, we may not have needed the heated pad, but we wanted our pet to be comfortable. Proverbs 12:10 says, “A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.” That is why we make sure she has a warm place to sleep and plenty of food. In fact, after taking her for a checkup at the vet a few years ago we found out we were feeding her too much food and he recommended we slim her down a bit.
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Some people neglect their pets and others seem to spoil them. I would rather see a pet spoiled a bit than neglected, but we must also be careful not to idolize them. I have been reading recently about the debate in Christian circles about whether or not our pets will go to heaven.
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Instead of an answer about our pets eternal destiny, I have a question. How much of the discussion about pets in heaven is motivated by idolatry of pets? I'm not saying pets are wrong. I have had wonderful pets, but when we get to heaven I cannot imagine worrying about our pets when we get to see our Savior. The whole discussion about getting to have our own pets in heaven sounds like saving up treasure to bring with us. I do not want to sound calloused, but shouldn‘t we be focused on seeing Jesus Christ face to face rather than on seeing our pets? How would you answer a person who asked, "If I restore a '57 Chevy will I get to have that in heaven?" Or "if I buy a Rolex will I get to have that in heaven?" Not all people idolize pets, but for those who do, why is idolatry of pets more acceptable than idolatry of other things?
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Romans 1:25 gives us a warning that we must consider as we reflect on our pets, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
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If you have animals, make sure you take care of them. Proverbs 12:10 reminds us that we are to have regard for our beasts. At the same time, make sure that you do not turn your pet into an idol. There is a joke that says that dogs worship their masters and cats expect their masters to worship them, but let us not forget that we are to worship God. “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10)
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