“I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.”       Psalm 119:15-16

Many years ago, upon adopting a German Shepherd (Max), my husband decided to take him to puppy training classes, what some call obedience school. He graduated with high praise upon completing the basic class andthe advanced class. We were so proud! 

More recently, we made the decision to adopt not one but two Labrador -English Setter puppies (Sadie and Zelda). Our thought being the girls, as we call them, would entertain each other and not get lonely. Mission accomplished: they are perfect playmates and are definitely two peas in a pod. They are also 2 times everything else – 2x the vet visits, 2x the food, and 2x the energy (actually it feels like 8x the energy). It didn’t take us long to realize that our girls would need obedience classes too so we could handle them as they grew in size and strength. We both attended every class along with the girls. I enjoyed the structured time with our pets and learned so much about how to raise them to be more focused and well-behaved.  

In the training, we learned valuable commands like watch me, sit, stay, come, release, and my favorite – leave it. I found Watch Me and Leave It to be two of the most beneficial commands. When we learned Watch Me it required the puppy to stop, sit, and focus on the owner before receiving the command to release. This has proven beneficial when needing the girls to calm down and regroup. I use Watch Me (and often times Leave it) on a daily basis when we are on our walk as Zelda gets distracted by every bug, butterfly, and leaf. 

Just because they graduated from puppy school doesn’t ensure that we have 100% perfect pups. As you can imagine, the effectiveness of the obedience training overall is greatly affected by our consistency and practice with the girls. We have to reinforce what they learned daily to get the desired results. 

The scripture above reminds us that the same is true about our Christian training. Think about it. In His word, God reminds us of His commands. To live in His will, it requires our obedience. When I am about to make a decision, I can almost hear Him say Come and Watch Me. When I pray for an answer, I don’t always get my desired response. Sometimes, He tells me to Stay or Leave It. For our Christian training to be effective, it takes practice and consistency. Just because you accept the invitation for salvation, it doesn’t make you a perfect person. We are all far from that, but we can become more and more like Jesus by being obedient to His commands. 

Remember this when you become distracted on your daily walk as a Christian. Hear God saying, “Watch Me” to regain your focus and remember your purpose.

 “You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! Then I shall not be put to shame, having my eyes fixed on all your commandments.”  Psalm 119:4-6