Caring for Animals, Part 1

August 29, 2007

Dear Friend,

Several years ago in another state, I stopped by a man’s house to borrow some equipment. The man was in his backyard, where he was caring for one of his dogs. It was a pitbull-rotweiller-beast-I-don’t-know-what-else mix that he used for dog fights. Apparently the night before there had been a pretty savage dog fight that the locals had participated in, and his dog had taken quite a beating. He was fixing him up with some dressings and ointment. I saw a lot of pain in the dog’s eyes as he was being treated, but he looked at his master with respect and loyalty. I’m sure that in the fights he did it out of loyalty for his master, who was now bandaging him up so that he could be healed, hopefully in time for the next fight.

As I left his place, I thought about the dog fights, rooster fights, and other events that humans enjoy where animals are hurt, mauled, and killed. I thought about the animals that are hunted and killed so the person can take their head or hide back to their trophy rooms; and I thought to myself, I wonder what God thinks about this?

The Bible tells us that God made humans in His image, that He formed man from the dust of the ground. But it also says: “Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air” (Genesis 2:19). So we see that God not only formed man and took time and care in his creation, but He also did the same with the animals. I know I would be hurt and upset if someone took something that I built and destroyed it; and I wonder if God feels the same way when we destroy and hurt the things He created. And not only does the Bible tell us God created all the animals, but God also tells us how to treat animals.

The Bible tells us that the Sabbath was made for man (Mark 2:27), but also tells us that the animals are to rest on that day, as well as humans (Exodus 20:8-11, Exodus 23:12). Shows a compassionate God that even cares about the animals getting some rest, doesn’t it? He gave specific instructions to the Israelites not to yoke a donkey and an ox together, as this would cause a lot of work for the donkey, the smaller of the two animals. Jesus told His followers that God is aware when even a little bird dies, and that He does not forget even sparrows (Matthew 10:29, Luke 12:6). And in Proverbs 12:10 we find, “A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal.”

The other day I was sitting in my room, and a nasty little mosquito started to bug me, literally. I swatted at him until I got him cornered, and with one quick smack he was dead. I paused and looked at the little squished speck on my hand and thought: “Here is a creature that can fly, hover, land with precision, has highly refined honing capabilities for CO2, and I just killed him without a thought. I just killed something that I cannot create. If I could create something that is half as skilled as a mosquito, I would be a millionaire. And yet God created him, and many others.” Now, I’m not saying that we cannot kill mosquitoes (the Bible says in Genesis 1:26-28 that humans are to control the animals), but I think it’s important to realize how limited we are as humans to make life, and yet we are many times too quick to take it.

The Bible tells us that God created; and when we treat His creation kindly, we are showing respect to God Himself. As a saying goes that I heard when I was young: “A man that treats animals kindly shows respect for their Creator.”

Next week let’s talk about how to care for the animals that God has given to us, and let’s look at some practical things we can do to find a balance in the treatment of our pets.

Have a great week! I’m praying for you!

Mark