Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision. — Philippians 3:2
There have been many occasions where I have seen the sign as I approached someone’s home. In letters with a picture of a dog, it says, “Beware of dog.” If I was going to the house of someone I knew, the chances were I was not too afraid of those dogs. If I didn’t know the house or the dog, it does give me a little hesitancy and makes me more watchful.
On one occasion, I had an interesting experience relating to this. I responded as a paramedic due to a medical emergency. I saw the sign when I entered the home, but no dog was in sight. After a few minutes, I heard one of the deepest growls I had ever heard. I looked behind the gate and saw a gigantic dog staring at me while I worked with the patient.
In that situation, I had let my guard down. I did not see a dog, so I mistakenly assumed that the dog may not be there or was not around. The sign at this home was no joke. This dog was not happy I was there and he was letting me know it.
In the words of this verse, the term dog is a little different than our understanding. A dog was someone who was shameless, snarling, dissatisfied, and contentious. He continues on by saying evil workers and concision. The idea is that these people are looking to create trouble, divide, and destroy. Know anyone like that?
All around us, the world would like to destroy us. They want to destroy the church and our personal relationship with God. We can guard against this though. We have to beware of the dogs. That is not to say that we go around calling people dogs, however.
Instead, we should be watchful and careful, just like we would if we saw one of those signs. We should be looking for people who want to bring strife and division into our relationship with God and the church. When we find someone, we should keep a safe distance and protect ourselves. If you don’t, you will find that a dog sneaks up on you when you least expect it.
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