We have one of those invisible pet fences to keep our dog in our yard. In case you’re not familiar with the concept, the dog wears a collar with a radio receiver in it. The radio picks up on a signal broadcast from a transmitter in our home that defines the dog’s boundary in our yard. If he gets too close to the boundary, the collar signals him with beeping and—if he keeps getting closer to the boundary—a mild “correction” (electric shock).
To train the dog with this system, you set out lots of little stick-up flags in the grass at the pre-established boundary around the home. Then one person puts the dog on a leash and positions the dog well within the boundary. That person also holds the dog collar in his hand. Another person is at the boundary and holds onto one of the boundary flags. The person holding the dog on the leash then encourages the dog to run with him toward the boundary flags. As they approach the perimeter, the other person starts waving the flag frantically and says, “No, no!” At the same time, the dog on the leash hears the beeping of the collar, and the person holding the dog on the leash also says, “No, no!” and quickly turns and hurries the pet back to the safe zone.
The instructions tell you to repeat this process again. Then they tell you to put the collar on the dog and repeat the process, this time allowing the dog to feel the correction very briefly, and then hurry him back to the safe zone. Do this one or two more times, they say, and the dog will be fully cognizant of his new boundaries and will be amazingly compliant.
Really? How can you be sure he has fully grasped this new system? This is how you know he knows: With the dog in the safe zone, the person at the perimeter calls him to get his attention. Once the dog looks at him, the person waves the little boundary flag frantically. When the dog sees that he will look away.
When I first heard this I was doubtful. How could the dog learn so quickly? But over the years we have trained several dogs and each one has proven this to be absolutely true. The flag spells danger to them, and they will not even look at the flag! They turn their head away.
Isn’t that amazing? If only we humans were smart enough to just look away when something or someone entices us!
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. (Gen. 3:6)
Father in Heaven, help us to take a lesson from our furry friends: to look away and turn away from evil. To give it no occasion to trap us. “Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to Your Word.” (Ps. 119:37)