Cats can complain a lot. They are creatures of habit, comfort and at least it seems, leisure. Cats complain if their lives are disturbed in any number of ways:

• Their food is late
• The menu is not what was expected
• A door usually left open is closed
• A door usually left closed is open
• An unusual person, or animal, is present
• A usual person or animal is absent
• It is too hot
• It is too cold
• It is cloudy
• The blinds are closed
• The blinds are open
• Their box is dirty
• They have to go to the vet
• They have to go anywhere
• You leave
• You come home

The Christian may be an animal lover. One can certainly “love” dogs, horses, even cats. One can even learn from looking at these works of God’s creation and consider how they can love, in their way, and what they understand. It is an amazing concept. I think about how little the canine, equine, or feline brain can process and understand, yet they have the capacity for virtue, in the way of their species and beyond, including virtues like obedience, loyalty and even self sacrifice and love. I’ve often looked at my pet and thought about that gap, and as big a gap as there is between myself and my pet, the gap between man and our Heavenly Father is infinitely larger.

There really isn’t a comparison, and some might think it a heretical analogy. But I rest on the knowledge scripture often uses animals in teaching about man, even man and God. The Good Shepherd and His sheep is but one such analogy. The bible discusses lions, horses, dogs, wolves, bears, fox, spiders, eagles, birds, deer, swine, goats and others. While man, like an animal, is a created being it is important to consider that he is also different and unique among God’s creation. Genesis records that man is unique among creation. Man was not only created but crafted and made in the image of God.

It is always important that one tread lightly in extrapolating analogies beyond the intended “lesson” or message that scripture provides. This remains sound practice when looking at animals as lessons of qualities that we should either emulate or eschew. This is absolutely critical when considering God in these analogies.

The term anthropomorphize means to treat nonhuman things as human. This can be a good and useful exercise. To in parallel fashion treat non-divine things as divine is to spiritually venture onto very thin ice. God reveals much of Himself in scripture — directly. And He tells us that man’s ways are not God’s ways.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts. [Isaiah 55:8-9]

God is infinite, man is not. God became man incarnate in Jesus Christ. We can look to scripture for what it tells us about God and we can look to Jesus to see the divine as human, these means are sanctioned. These means are part of God’s outreach to man. These means are wise, prudent, proven, prescribed, and all we need.