How to Stop Barking Up the Wrong Tree

We’ve all heard, and maybe spoken, the words “you’re barking up the wrong tree.” This idiom carries the meaning of being misguided, on the wrong track, in error. The phrase originated with the description of hunting dogs. Unfortunately, not all the canines in our neighborhood have read about this.

Take Sampson, for instance. A lovable black lab, he usually runs the length of his fenced-in back yard as Gibbs and I walk by. His ferocious bark would be more intimidating if his tail wasn’t wagging 100 miles per hour.

But one day, Sampson completely ignored us. With every muscle tensed, he stood at the bottom of a Bradford pear tree, barking and occasionally lunging against the tree trunk. He remained focused on the top of the tree. Leaves rustled as a squirrel skittered between branches. This continued a few seconds until the squirrel figured out he could leap onto the top of a neighboring tree. Sampson, rooted to his original spot, barked at the empty tree while his furry prey chattered something in squirrel talk that sounded like “Hey, buddy, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

I thought about how many times I’m guilty of barking up the wrong tree. How about you? Do we, like Sampson, make our own plans and determine we’ll stick with them even when we realize they’re not for our best? Waste time and energy on the wrong track and end up with nothing but a bad case of exhaustion?

So how do we stop barking up the wrong tree? Maybe we need a different perspective. No doubt Sampson planned to catch the squirrel (although I doubt he’d know what to do with it once he caught it), but leafy branches blocked his line of sight. He couldn’t see the squirrel jump to another tree. Poor Sampson didn’t realize that in a split second, the circumstances shifted. The same is true for us. Our line of sight is blocked because we can’t see around the next bend. We have no idea what lies ahead. When life alters our situation, we’re not sure how to adjust.

We need the perspective of the One who is all-knowing, who sees the end from the beginning. Listen to God’s promise in Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'” Isaiah 25:1 states “O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For you have worked wonders, Plans formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness.” How beautiful! God loves us and His plans for us are always good. He knows what’s best for each of us.

And thankfully, He doesn’t leave us on our own to figure things out. James 1:5 declares “if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” In Psalm 32:8, God promises “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”

God is faithful to go with us through this life, holding our hand when we stumble, protecting us when the path is challenging, and giving us the assurance His way is always for our good. Even though we can’t see around every twist and turn, we can trust the One who can.

Life is short. Let’s not waste time “barking up the wrong tree.” Let’s ask God to guide us and to give us strength to keep our eyes fixed on Him.

Now it’s your turn! I’d love to hear your thoughts!