Best dog stories

We need to be reminded that "the abuse of something doesn't make it
invalid." When we have an agenda, we tend to cite extreme examples of abuse
to justify our position.
Are there parents who have abused their children? Yes. Does that mean
that all discipline in the home is to be avoided?
Are there instances where an innocent person has been incarcerated by our
judicial system? Yes. Should we abandon all attempts to punish murderers?
Are there individuals who abuse the concept of God's grace? Yes. So, do
we need to quit teaching that righteousness is imputed and return to
teaching that it is gained by law?
So, if we don't abandon those practices/truths because they can be/have
been/will be abused, how do we keep people from abusing truth principles?
Do we just keep making more and more rules? Do we take away every liberty
because some (maybe "most") abuse it?
We had a stubborn bird dog when I was a kid. He absolutely refused to
stay in his pen. He would bite the wire until he finally made a hole in the
fence. My dad lined his pen with wire that he couldn't bite through. He
dug under the fence. My dad (with the help of a complaining son) buried
that same kind of wire around the inside perimeter of the fence so that he
couldn't dig out. He climbed over the top. We added another two feet of
wire on the top. He still climbed out. We finally drove an iron post in
the center of his pen and chained him to it. We made a miscalculation. The
chain was about twelve inches too long. The next morning, we found him
hanging outside the fence. about twelve inches from the top!
You don't stop doing/teaching something that's right because there are
some folks who are determined to abuse it. And you don't manufacture a set
of your own rules to control people's behavior. You teach God's whole truth
patiently and lovingly. If that doesn't get the job done, whatever else you
do only creates problems.

Ken Stegall
Woodland Oaks Church of Christ
The Woodlands, TX 77382