Bucking Horses

After going to a rodeo with friends last Saturday I came up with this analogy and wanted to share it with the hope anyone who reads it will understand we serve a God who wants the best for us. I am not a horse trainer, nor do I know technical terms or the exact way horses are trained, but after listening to a friend describe some of what happens I came up with this analogy.

Horses all start out with training for temperament and ability. Some horses are recognized very early on as having good temperament and easy to train. These horses are then trained to do whatever the handler wants them to do and they respond and learn what they are supposed to do. Then there are those horses who will respond with a little more work and motivation. These horses need a little more time and at times will need to be taken by the bridle and walked through where they need to go, but overall will learn to do what they’ve been asked. Then there are the stubborn horses who fight anything and everything. They have their own way and won’t listen to anyone - no matter how much force is used. These horses are then sent into the bucking horse circuit. 

These bucking horses are then used for what they are good at - bucking and being wild. Unfortunately though, it’s not like their bucking and being wild is all natural at this point. To ensure the horse will buck, a strap is placed uncomfortably close to the genitals and made to be extremely uncomfortable. The bucking horse is now being forced to do something they might not want to do at that moment, not to mention this way is a lot more uncomfortable than if the were to just obey when they were first being trained. 

Watching these bucking horses I noticed the real wild ones who had bucked off their rider would continue to think they could release their discomfort on their own and didn’t realize when another horse and cowboy came near the strap would be released. The bucking horse would try to escape the other horse and cowboy too stubborn to realize they were there to help and ease the discomfort. 

Not all of the bucking horses were like this though, some realized after they bucked off their rider and the other horse with the cowboy came near they’d stop bucking as wildly and seemed to allow the horse and cowboy to do their job knowing the discomfort would soon be relieved. I’d like to think these horses have learned their way might not have been the best, but now know what they need to do to ease the discomfort by allowing the horse and cowboy to come along side them. 

Here is my analogy of how God uses his children: Some children are called and respond quickly and learn early on what they need to do and do just that. Some children are called and need a little coaching, but eventually catch on and do what they need to do and do just that. Then there are those children who are called, but think they can do it on their own. They are wild and buck at anything who tries to control them. They think they are going to do their own thing, but in reality are controlled by the very thing they think they have control over only to realize this only causes more discomfort. Some children at this point realize the help when it comes along and sadly some don’t and continue to think they are still in control and can do it on their own. 

God is that cowboy who uses the trained horse who will obey and follow directions no matter what the circumstance looks like - even if it is riding alongside a bucking horse who can injure anyone who comes near. The difference between these two horses is God is on the trained horse who is looking out for the safety and will pull back when the bucking horse is in a position that will harm the trained horse, but will then reposition the trained horse to ride alongside the bucking horse and will reach over to release the strap causing discomfort... but the bucking horse needs to allow the cowboy to do so. 

So my question is what kind of horse have you been and what kind of horse do you want to be? I’ve been like the horse that needs a little extra training and at times needs to be lead by the bridle, but eventually catches on. My prayer is God will now use me to come along side the bucking horse so He can ease their discomfort. 

"For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers." 1 Thessalonians 1:4-7