The Theology of Pets

To have a thoroughly Christ-entranced worldview, nothing must be excluded from its sway. Everything must be filtered through the lens of coming from satisfaction in God, through the will of God, and for the eternal good of others and the ultimate glory of God. Is this difficult to accomplish? Absolutely yes! My remaining sin is so evident in regard to failing in possessing a thoroughly Christ-immersed worldview. Others believers in Christ fail constantly, too. One area that is often overlooked is the category of pets.

So, what would a theology of pets entail? First, there is no indication that pets are prohibited by God. There are indeed benefits from owning and caring for pets. For instance,

• Pets could provide some measure of companionship to those who are lonely, especially for the elderly.
• Pets can be useful for children in teaching them about responsibility of things outside of themselves.
• Pets can certainly serve pragmatic purposes such as dogs protecting people and property and cats controlling rodents.

However, as is the case with most things in our fallen world, there is a flip-side to owning pets. What are the downfalls? They would include,

·    Pets are often an escape route in the difficult world of relationships with fellow human beings. Most pets adore their masters and they never talk back. Nevertheless, this is utterly unrealistic in the real world. The real world is tough! We cannot use pets (or, for that matter other things, such as computers, video games, hobbies, leisure, etc) to seclude ourselves from others who are actually made in the image of God.

·    Pets can surely be a strain on a person’s financial resources and time. It is simply astronomical to see how much money people will spend on their pets. Just as I need to learn how not to waste my money for the glory of Christ, others need to do likewise with their pets. Also, the maintenance of pets should never impede on serving others. For example, if one cannot go out for the evening, invite others over to their home, or take an extended trip because of their pets, then they should rethink their priorities.

·    Pets can sometimes be a litmus test of how we literally love our neighbors. A follower of Christ should always look out for the interests of their neighbors above their own. Pets can often be an immense irritation to neighbors. To remedy this, if this means having no pets or curtailing the activities of their pets then, this must happen at all costs.

These are a few of my thoughts. Again, there is nothing inherently wrong with having pets. However, it deeply saddens me when people, especially Christ-followers, do not have a Christ-exalting worldview concerning their animals.

O Sovereign Lord, may you convict your children (myself, included) of lacking a worldview that is completely enthralled with you in all aspects of our daily lives.