They sat on the man’s front porch, discussing his need to return to Christ and His church. The preacher was kind but straightforward in his tone, and the offender seemed to understand and accept the seriousness of the preacher’s plea. Still, the offender kept saying, “Well, I don’t know. I’m still upset at some of those folks.” The preacher tried to use biblical examples of how Jesus was wronged yet stayed committed to the Father (John 6:38). He cited the example of the apostle Paul, who was wronged. Still, he insisted, “the Lord reward him for his deeds.” (2 Timothy 4:15). The offender wasn’t moved; he insisted he had done nothing wrong!
After he felt he had exhausted all verbal pleas, the preacher remained kind toward his erring brother, bid him goodbye, and left the porch. The offender’s old dog lay in the front yard, aloof to the seriousness that had occupied the men, and never moved as the preacher approached. Purposely walking toward the dog, the preacher suddenly kicked the old dog as if to insist it move from his way. “Don’t kick my dog, preacher!” the man exclaimed. “He didn’t do anything to you!” The preacher looked back, and with as much love and solemnness as he could muster, said, “And Christ didn’t do anything to you either, but you’ve kicked Him,” and kept walking.
The action had its effect! The offender called the preacher that evening, still fuming that the preacher had kicked his dog for no reason. The preacher told him, “You are doing to Christ what I did to your dog. You are taking out your frustration on the wrong Being. You have misdirected your anger. Why would you leave Christ and take out your frustration on Him? He didn’t leave you. He didn’t offend you! Yet your departure from Him is hurting Him, and the faithful with whom you worshipped, not the one with whom you’re angry!”
He thought it over and returned to Christ and His church with a sincere apology. The person who initially offended him and he reconciled their differences. I muse on this story often …
If you’ve left Christ and His church, why? Who are you really hurting (besides yourself) by leaving Christ because someone or something has offended you? Don’t kick the dog!!!
