From the time the sun rises each morning until we lay our heads down at night, he’s using whatever means possible to show us his love, grace, and faithfulness. Sometimes, he uses dogs.
It’s a story only God could orchestrate. I was in my twenties, living in a one-bedroom apartment and working my first full-time job out of college. Each afternoon following work, I walked my new dog around the large lawn behind the building where I lived. Like clockwork, she would spot a yellow retriever mix that the owner had off leash playing fetch, much to my annoyance.
Somehow, my Rottweiler mix knew something I didn’t. My future husband was the owner of this other dog, and she was determined she was going to get to know both of them. Week after week, she yanked my arm toward them and was only satisfied when I obliged her demands and walked over.
This is one season of my life, among many, where dogs taught me about the character of Jesus. Yes, I realize that dogs are not created in God’s image, but I do believe God can use anything in creation to show us his attributes. From the time the sun rises each morning until we lay our heads down at night, he’s using whatever means possible to show us his love, grace, and faithfulness. Sometimes, he uses dogs.
Here are five things that dogs teach us about Jesus:
1. He Is a Dependable, Reliable Friend Who Won’t Forsake Us
There’s a reason why dogs are called “man’s best friend.” Their affection is longsuffering, and they don’t ask for much. As long as you give them food, shelter, and a cuddle every now and then, they will stick with you forever. They will greet you at your door when you come home with a tail wag, stick by your side when you’re down, and share in your excitement when you celebrate life’s wins.
And Jesus? Well, his love goes far beyond anything our pets can offer us. He sees the hidden parts of us that no one else does and loves us anyway. He doesn’t hold grudges and sticks to us closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). When others ghost us or let us down, he stays. His love is unconditional, and his mercy is without end.
2. He Cares About Our Joy
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit we often overlook. We remember patience, faithfulness, and self-control but might overlook this gift, which is essential to the thriving life of the believer. But when I look at my pup, he reminds me that Jesus cares about our joy too. His playful demeanor and refusal to let me sit down and read on a beautiful day teach me how Jesus’ attributes aren’t limited to his sinless, holy nature.
Hebrews 2:17 tells us, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God” (NLT). These words remind us that Jesus is not only empathetic to our human nature, but he possesses the aspects of humanity we often discount, like humor and whimsy. We can look at the playful nature of dogs and other animals around the world, like dolphins and sea otters, and witness this attribute.
3. He Doesn’t Care About Appearances
Aren’t you glad our dogs don’t tell us when we’re having a really bad hair day? I don’t know about you, but I can be hyper-critical of my appearance. It’s nice to have a faithful companion who loves us even if we gain a few pounds or wear a blouse that’s less than flattering.
In each Gospel account, Jesus is shown as someone who doesn’t care about appearances either. As a matter of fact, the people he was most critical of seemed to care more about appearances than anything else. They were the Pharisees, and Jesus had some harsh words about their surface-level faith:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25 NIV
Jesus spends paragraph upon paragraph in this chapter pointing out the hypocritical ways of the Pharisees, showing his disdain for people who try to appear righteous on the outside but have hearts that are far from God.
4. He Has a Sense of Humor
My dog makes me laugh on a regular basis. His interactions with the kids show his unique personality each day, and he’s cheered me up after a bad week more times than I can count. When I witness the playfulness of dogs, I’m reminded that even Jesus had a sense of humor. No, there aren’t any specific verses saying that Jesus laughed, but there are plenty of references to his humor.
I think this is a trait of Jesus we often overlook. We tend to focus on his more serious traits, like his holiness and his obedience to death on a cross. But since we are made in the image of God, and we have this trait, it doesn’t make sense that it would be absent from Jesus, who was God in the flesh. If you read some of the conversations and interactions between Jesus and the disciples, his humor is obvious.
For example, in the book of Mark, we’re told that Jesus renamed James and John “Boanerges,” which means “Sons of Thunder.” This was no doubt a reference to the brothers’ impulsive personality and a rather funny one at that.
5. He Is Patient and Longsuffering
Last week, my son forgot to feed our dog. This wasn’t the first time he overlooked this chore, and I’m sure it won’t be the last. When my husband reminded him, our dog didn’t growl or show any impatience as our eleven-year-old brought the dish inside. Although we knew he was hungry, he sat and waited without complaint while my son put the food down.
Now, I will admit that sometimes my dog is not patient. He’s an animal, not an angel. But his patient demeanor during moments like this reminds me of Jesus’ patience with us. During his earthly ministry, there were plenty of times when people doubted him, failed him, and abandoned him. And although we see his righteous rebuke in some interactions, what we see most is his patience and longsuffering. How else could he have been obedient to the cruelest torture and death imaginable?
1 Corinthians reminds us that patience is an integral part of love, saying, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.” 1 Corinthians 13:4 NIV
We don’t have to look far to see that patience is a dying virtue. But I love that God reminds us of this aspect of his character through our pets. It’s a daily admonition for me to practice longsuffering, even when I don’t feel like it.
While there are many other traits I could add to this list, these are the ones I see most often. As a dog person, I may be biased, but since a dog introduced me to my husband, I have a good reason, right? I’m so grateful to God for giving us animals to remind us of his love, patience, and humor.
Photo Credit: ©Unsplash/barkernotbaker
Abby McDonald is a writing coach and the author of Shift: Changing Our Focus to See the Presence of God. Her mission is to empower women to seek God in the middle of life’s messes and to share their faith with courage. Abby writes regularly for Proverb 31 Ministries’ daily devotions team, and her work has been featured in numerous publications. You can connect with Abby on her website where you can grab a free worship playlist to help you shift your focus toward God. You can also connect with Abby on Instagram.
