Over the Fence

Dutch is my backyard neighbor’s dog. A beautiful golden retriever who has a protective bark, he’s also very friendly, especially when he brings me his ball so I can throw it into his yard for him. But his bark is his frightening first impression. It’s that bark that made us nervous to get near him based on some previous experience. A couple of years ago, the former neighbor’s dog, who also had a protective bark, wasn’t very friendly… especially when he bit my husband. Bret and one of our boys were tossing the football around our yard when it landed near our 5’ vinyl fence. Bret went over into the gravel, the dog heard him, and by the time Bret stood, the dog had bounded to get his front paws up on the fence and his teeth into Bret’s back. Two very different dogs with two very different experiences, but both with a strong first impression. As a child, my first impression of the gospel was similar: I was nervous and frightened. I knew that without Jesus, I would spend eternity in a torturous hell, separated from God forever. Fear pervaded some of my first impressions of our Savior. And so I’m sensitive to not introduce others to my Lord in the same way. While hell is real and the prospect frightening, Jesus’s invitation to faith in Him isn’t through the motivation of fear. He lovingly, sacrificially chose to take on human flesh, live the perfect life, and die the death we deserved in order to reconcile us to our amazing, sovereign Creator. In light of that, what is to fear? As we introduce (and emulate) Christ to our family, friends, co-workers, strangers, and neighbors, may we strive to give a proper first impression.