I came across the verse in Ecclesiastes that says, “a living dog is better than a dead lion”. It grabbed my attention and I started thinking about what that verse means to me, personally.
Lions are great creatures. They are not ordinary animals. You can’t go buy a lion to keep, you have to look at it on display: either in their natural habitat or at the zoo. They are considered too great of an animal to be common. They are the best at what they do…hunting. They make their presence known in any situation. There are many people who are like lions. They are great creatures. They have talents or wealth that seems to place them on a higher pedestal than the average Joe. They make their presence known among people and seem to be on display.
Then there are dogs. Dogs are everywhere…they are common. You can buy one, you can adopt one, you can find a stray…there are many ways you can get a dog. They don’t need to be in their natural habitat, you can keep them in the house. Everyone has probably had a dog at one time or another. Some learn to do tricks, some are good hunters, some like to yap at anything coming and going. They are common. They are not on display…they just do their thing. There are many people like that. They have talents but instead of commanding attention, they just do it. They are common people: there are many others with the same abilities. Nobody flocks to see them on display.
One of those animals is such a great and powerful creature and the other is ordinary. But Solomon said that a LIVING common, ordinary person (a dog) is better than a DEAD person (a lion). You can be the most powerful and strong person. You can have talents that everyone else only dreams of having. But if you don’t use them for the Lord and live for Him, it’s just like you’re dead…you’re of no use. On the other hand, if you are a simple, ordinary person and you use what God has given you and live for Him, you are of more grandeur than the most powerful.
The Bible is full of “dogs” that prove this point. The thief on the cross who showed us how to ask forgiveness. The adulterous woman who showed us that no sin was too great for Him to cleanse. Naaman’s maid who shared her faith. The fishermen that caught souls for Him. The little boy who gave his lunch so that a miracle could be performed. Don’t get me wrong…the Lord uses the lions too, but I know that I am just one of the dogs; a common girl. I don’t have any great talents that put me on display. I don’t have a lot of money to do things with. But, what I do have I try to use it to glorify Him. I’d much rather be the dog (a yapping one, as I’m sure John would say! lol) and be living and of some use for Him than to be a great lion and be useless.
“…for a living dog is better than a dead lion.”
Ecclesiastes 9:4 KJV
