My husband and I have, in recent years, been caring for rescue cats who have taught us some important lessons about what a relationship with Christ should look like – and should not.
Wally is the late Oriental Shorthair shown above left; with breaking hearts, we were forced to euthanize him several years ago, when we learned that he was suffering from stage 4 kidney disease. Wally was quite simply the best cat we’ve ever had. Affectionate and vocal, he lived for us. Unless he was sleeping or tending to the other necessities of feline life, he had to be near one of us, preferably snuggling into a lap and purring up a storm. Our existence, and our love for him, were his reasons for living; he had room for little else in that huge little heart of his.
Mindy is the silver Persian at right. She is a living demonstration of the “dogs have masters, cats have servants” philosophy of life held by so many of her kind. She insists that we feed her delectable food and water, keep her five litter boxes spotless, and provide daily combing to keep her looking her best. Except for these brief interactions, she has no use for us; her days are spent gazing out the windows, napping, perhaps taking a turn in the garden to nibble on grass for later deposit on our cream-colored carpeting.
I was thinking last night that these two are excellent illustrations of two basic approaches to Christianity.
There are some Christians who have a Wally-like relationship with Jesus: seeking Him daily through His word and through prayer, drawing as close as possible to Him, doing their best to live lives that are pleasing to Him according to His word, tending to life’s duties as needed but really preferring to spend their time with Him.
Then there are those who have a more Mindy-like relationship with the Lord: attending church when there’s nothing more entertaining to do, listening to a few verses read here and there and considering this an adequate spiritual meal for the time being, spending the rest of their waking hours living, directly or indirectly, for their own pride, pleasure and amusement.
Of course, there are many shades of cat and Christian in between these two extremes. But if you had to choose one, which type of cat would you welcome in to the kingdom you call home? More important, which sort of Christian best demonstrates a heart that’s most likely heaven-bound?
Wally is the late Oriental Shorthair shown above left; with breaking hearts, we were forced to euthanize him several years ago, when we learned that he was suffering from stage 4 kidney disease. Wally was quite simply the best cat we’ve ever had. Affectionate and vocal, he lived for us. Unless he was sleeping or tending to the other necessities of feline life, he had to be near one of us, preferably snuggling into a lap and purring up a storm. Our existence, and our love for him, were his reasons for living; he had room for little else in that huge little heart of his.
Mindy is the silver Persian at right. She is a living demonstration of the “dogs have masters, cats have servants” philosophy of life held by so many of her kind. She insists that we feed her delectable food and water, keep her five litter boxes spotless, and provide daily combing to keep her looking her best. Except for these brief interactions, she has no use for us; her days are spent gazing out the windows, napping, perhaps taking a turn in the garden to nibble on grass for later deposit on our cream-colored carpeting.
I was thinking last night that these two are excellent illustrations of two basic approaches to Christianity.
There are some Christians who have a Wally-like relationship with Jesus: seeking Him daily through His word and through prayer, drawing as close as possible to Him, doing their best to live lives that are pleasing to Him according to His word, tending to life’s duties as needed but really preferring to spend their time with Him.
Then there are those who have a more Mindy-like relationship with the Lord: attending church when there’s nothing more entertaining to do, listening to a few verses read here and there and considering this an adequate spiritual meal for the time being, spending the rest of their waking hours living, directly or indirectly, for their own pride, pleasure and amusement.
Of course, there are many shades of cat and Christian in between these two extremes. But if you had to choose one, which type of cat would you welcome in to the kingdom you call home? More important, which sort of Christian best demonstrates a heart that’s most likely heaven-bound?
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