Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you

Recently, thanks to our son, Jason, we have gotten “hooked” on a TV show called “The Dog Whisperer.” In this show, the host, Cesar Milan, performs what seem to be minor miracles with dogs that are behaving badly. Cesar is not a dog trainer; he doesn’t teach dogs to sit and do tricks–he is a dog “behaviorist” who handles dogs according to the rules of the pack.

In the pack, there is always one dog that is the lead dog, he is called the “Alpha.” The Alpha dog has supreme authority over all the other dogs in the pack, so Cesar assumes the role of the Alpha dog each time. The results are almost miraculous as dogs that were once problem dogs quickly submit to Cesar.

Sometimes, Cesar runs into some tough cases, like a bulldog he dealt with in season one of the show. To say that this dog was stubborn would be an understatement, but Cesar was up to the challenge. It was a tremendous struggle to get the dog to walk with him in a “calm-submissive” state. The bulldog kept trying to run ahead and pull Cesar or to stubbornly stay behind and not move–the battle was on!

As I watched this battle of the wills, I was reminded of Psalm 32:9 where we are admonished not to be like the horse or the mule. You see, when I think about a horse, the expression that comes to mind is, “chomping at the bit.” It means that a horse is eager to get going, it is impatient, ready to take off and “catch me if you can!” So a bit and bridle are used to control the horse’s natural tendency and put on the brakes. On the other hand, when I think about a mule, I think of the expression, “stubborn as a mule” and I see a picture of an old miner pulling at a rope trying to coax a mule to move forward. In the case of the mule, the bit and bridle are used to pull the mule forward because it’s natural tendency is to stubbornly refuse to move. These two animals picture our tendencies when responding to God’s direction. If it is something we like and want to do, we tend to take off after it without waiting for the Lord’s timing. If it is something we don’t particularly want to do, we dig our heels in and refuse to move. Either way, the issue is submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Interestingly, most problem dogs are problem dogs because they have been treated like people by their owners. When this happens, owners pamper the dogs and unwittingly make the dog the “Alpha” of the house. What happens then is that the dog becomes anxious and changes its behavior to deal with the anxiety. You see, people are not dogs and we behave in ways that frustrate the dog that is trying to assume the Alpha role.

Back to Cesar and the bulldog. How did Cesar handle it? Well, he didn’t beat the dog, he didn’t use treats to entice the dog, he didn’t even get angry with the dog–he simply used the leash to demand that the dog walk in its proper place (next to Cesar and slightly behind) and in a calm-submissive state of mind.

Now here is the amazing thing, once the dog submitted to Cesar’s leadership, you could literally see that the dog was happier and more at peace! The dog was no longer anxious because now it knew who was the Alpha dog. The bulldog could now let Cesar lead and he could be at rest. Does this remind you of anything in the Bible?

Listen to the words of Jesus:

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

I have to confess, I saw me in that bulldog. Thinking I’m in control and as a result, full of anxiety. See, if I am the Alpha dog, all the responsibility for my life, my wife, my children, our finances… everything is on my shoulders as a heavy load. But when Jesus puts his leash (yoke) on me so I can walk with Him as I should, letting Him lead, letting Him be the Alpha, then I relinquish the responsibility. I loose the anxiety and I find rest for my soul.

But you know, you don’t even have to take it from me. Jesus Himself said it in Revelation 22:13–He said, “I am the Alpha…”