Be Humble
By three months old, my Chesapeake Bay Retriever, 'Tuck-A- Duck-Away' (Tucker) was hand signal, whistle and voice trained. He loved the water and was an absolute joy to train. He was intelligent, eager to please, and absolutely obedient. Working with him was so rewarding that I actually thought about leaving my teaching career and training hunting dogs full time. I had a very high view of myself as a trainer... until I bought a second dog. 'Sander-Took-A-Gander' (Sandy) was a yellow lab with an excellent pedigree. Both of her parents were champion retrievers. Sandy, on the other hand, didn't like the water, wasn't interested in retrieving, and refused to "come" on command. This humbled me greatly.
I had to work much harder with Sandy for lesser results. I learned that I wasn't such a great trainer after all, but rather that Tucker was a great dog. In the same way, every child is different. Some are naturally compliant and eager to please. They have a gentle nature and make parenting a joy. Others are difficult from the very beginning. They require boatloads of energy and constant discipline. Think about this- if I hadn't spent a moment to train either of my dogs, they would have been wild and disobedient. They would have been in a pen, on a chain, or on a leash for much of their lives. They would have had NO freedom.
The same is true with our children. We train for obedience because OBEDIENCE LEADS to FREEDOM. Yes, with some children it DOES require much more work. With some children it is far less rewarding. But those are the very children who most need your time and energy and boundaries and discipline. God has given your children free will. They will not all respond well. Some will make bad decisions. Don't give up. Pray.
Find parenting wisdom in the Word of God. Seek godly counsel from Christian parents with well-behaved children. Be humble. Even though you may not see it in the moment, what you are doing IS making a difference in the life of your child! Be blessed! -Pastor Brad
Tucker and I with his first retrieves on grouse.
Written on June 14, 2026
Posted in Daily Devotions