Be a good dog

Satan and his miscreants cannot make us do anything. Their job is advertising, marketing, lies, gaslighting and/or whatever else works.

Obedience is knowing our place in the food chain as we work out our salvation. Demons live on leashes. If we veer off course, we venture into their killing fields as they must stay in their lanes. Bottom line, it is we who choose to stray.

• Obedience is a virtue that sparks rebellion. It’s recognizing that we are not, at the center of the cosmic org chart. When we refuse to follow even the simplest directive, workflow is hijacked in the mystical body of Christ. We get what we ask for. It’s the exact reason God is allowing society to collapse. We booted Him from schools, courthouses, holidays, etc. Insert other places here ________.

• Obedience to rules is what makes heaven, in fact, heaven. Obedience is not ignoring safety protocols because you ‘don’t vibe with clipboards.’ It’s where everyone stays in their own lane and pulls their own weight. In sports, obedient teams win because they work together.

• Obedience is how everything stays in balance. We give employers, authority figures and elders loyalty, labor and a kindly amount of enthusiasm. In return, we get structure and predictability. A chain of command shouldn’t change because we are bored and want new departments with new names.

• Obedience takes courage—not dramatic theater—but the quiet courage to accept correction. It takes fortitude to follow a rule you didn’t invent. It takes courage to admit that sometimes — and I say this with love — we are wrong. And we are all wrong. We don’t have to agree with everything, but teams should obey.

• Obedience is fellowship, teams and harmony. Music is an example of obediently playing the notes on the page. If everyone plays the same score, music results.

• Obedience is an act of charity toward ourselves. When we follow the agreed-upon procedures, everything syncs.

• Obedience is also about humility. Wallowing in grudges is not saintly behavior. We must know our place in the food chain. Worker bees in hives do their jobs and move on, humming with melodious energy. Then there’s the old faithful dog—man’s best friend with the wagging tail.

Be a good dog | Fr. Eric Sternberg on SoundCloud

In closing, listen to this 10-minute sermon by a cherished chaplin curmudgeon—like St Jerome. Too busy? Listen during dinner prep with your dog. Or better yet, go drive with your dog. Thrilled to be with his Alpha, observe his happy, head-on windsurfing through a downed window.

It is through obedience, that we feel joy when we are at one-with-our-Divine Alpha.

Prayer for Obedience

When gaslighting demons blind our eyes, Lord, shield us from their scales & lies.
The choice to wander is ours alone. Help us love the lane we own.
As the center of all cosmic charts, Lord please heap humility in our hearts.
For if we spurn a simple command, we waste workflow & wreck Your plan.

Help us respect our leaders’ hierarch; with labor, laughter and banter bright.
To follow rules and stay in line, send us wisdom to discern Your design.
Like loyal dogs where obedience abounds & worker bees that buzz with sound.
Simple service brings joy complete, when the Alpha’s in the driver’s seat.

May we leave grudges at Your door. Play notes from Your composers’ score.
Like wind-blown Westies soaking sun; freedom thrives when Your Will is done.

Source:

NEGOTIATING HELL: a sequel to CS Lewis' "Screwtape Letters." Ch 21: Obedience