Beware the Voice of Chihuahua's

As young and immature Christians, we desire to please the Lord but are confused about how to do so. After our times of prayer and bible study, it often seems that we struggle with our own thoughts and feelings, and daily fall way short of the goodness the teachings of Jesus commands. Jesus said "Let not your heart be troubled, believe in me, for I have already overcome the world" I understand that "the world" is all which would seek to separate us from the peace God promises to us as his children, As I have sought to learn how to apply this wisdom, I am seeing that the Lord is very practical, and shows us small ways that we can ease our troubled minds by practicing our faith in our daily life experiences. There are many small beginnings on the way to big things. We are taught to never despise these days of small beginnings. One such small beginning in my own daily life has come through my husband's beloved pet, a small Chihuahua. A somewhat humorous but seriously true lesson in spiritual warfare was unfolding in my home. I was presented with a unique opportunity to learn to practice walking in the spirit.

We were given this cute little dog by a friend, and it was fully grown. We began to see that he a fear of most everyone, as though he had been mistreated. This was my thought about him in the beginning, but I did learn from reading up on this breed that he was just doing what comes natural to a chihuahua. The natural personality trait of this breed is to be somewhat anxious and unsociable in the company of strangers. They are known to pick one person to favor while shying away from many others.

At any rate, we were strangers to him, and it would take quite some time to get him adapted to us and our routine. Well, actually, it was becoming more like us learning to adapt to his routine! He quickly claimed my husband as his possession because Bill had such an affection for him. He has always loved dogs. Although I do not dislike them, I needed grace to love this dear pet as he did.

Cooter the chihuahua quickly began to show a fierce distrust of me, while jealously guarding my husband from me. He camped out daily in my husband's lap, or near him as he sat in his recliner. If I approached his chair, the dog would sit up and bare his teeth and growl fiercely! If I reached over to the table beside his chair to pick something up, he would snap at me, and even bite. If my husband left the house to go to town, this small but bossy dog would stand and bark at me loudly., as though accusing me of hiding him. The poor dog would then run all over the house crying and searching for him. If he managed to get outside, he would take off down the road, nose to the ground, sniffing his trail! When the children came to visit, he would hide under the couch and bark ferociously until they left. Quiet and pleasant visits from anyone were becoming near impossible! This was turning into a constant war!

I was very young in my experience with spiritual warfare, and was just learning to hear God's voice through his prophets. One day while watching a well known prophet of the Lord on T.V., a rhema word was quickened to me. I do not even recall the subject he was speaking on, but suddenly, I heard the prophet say, "don't be intimidated by the voice of Chihuahuas" Isn't it amazing how the Lord speaks into our lives in just the right season? He watches over all of our everyday habits and events. He got my attention, and I began seeking to hear what the Lord was saying to me. The Lord then began to teach me quite a bit about spiritual warfare through this experience. I was daily being tempted and attacked with feelings of jealousy, aggravation, and a desire to demand that Bill would find this friend Cooter a new home so I could again enjoy mine! But we are taught to walk in the spirit so that we would not obey the lusts of the flesh.

I was also learning that the Lord desired to free us from the bondage of control through voices causing intimidation, fear and manipulation. This was just a harmless pet, but I needed to learn to deal with the unpleasant aspect of his nature. I learned that spirits can and do work through animals and humans. In it's deepest form it is a spirit of witchcraft, with an underlying purpose of reigning over our emotions, and thereby destroying our hope for peace and victory. Many churches and leaders need to learn and to experience this kind of warfare, for God loves the person, or animal, these spirits are controlling.

We, as believers, are given the authority to bind carnal responses and to loose spiritual ones. We can choose to crucify the normal reactions of flesh by the spirit. The feelings of anger, jealousy and hurt are very real, but by our continual practice of walking in the spirit, powerful grace is able to make us into brand new creations. I was led by grace to demonstrate the love of God and to turn the other cheek and to bless my new enemy, Cooter the Chihuahua.

I took on the responsibility of feeding and keeping his water fresh daily. It was trying, but humorous! I would place his food and water in his feeding bowl, and he would stand back, watching me intently. He would not come near his food until i was well out of the way. He barked fiercely at me often when I got into his space! I got quite a bit of practice in turning the other cheek! Occasionally he would have a day of sickness, and I would pray and seek his healing. By grace, I struggled to maintain a right heart attitude while this small dog was wreaking havoc in my home. However, I took notice of the love and affection my husband and this small dog felt for one another. It was very touching!

As the Lord promised in his word, little by little, he brought change and the change increased peace. I began to enjoy great victory over my own emotional reactions, and those of my husband's. As a result of the truth of the word of God being practiced, what was a real irritation has become a laughing matter, and is gradually vanishing away.

I am no longer intimidated by the voice of Chihuahuas! I am learning to apply this valuable lesson to many other voices which speak in the world around me. In the Lord's sight, even the giant Goliath's in our lives are as small dogs when compared to Christ in us. But we should also remember that David spent years practicing slaying bears and lions before he was ready for Goliath.

We who belong to Jesus are destined to rule and reign with him. By the continual practice of seeking and sowing the good works and good words of Jesus in all our relationships, his dominion and peace comes to the areas we are assigned to.

This I say now, walk in the spirit and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Where are the voices of the Chihuahua's in your life? You have to start somewhere!