Unorthodox Big Dogs – Believe you are who God made you to be

Unorthodox Big Dogs: Believe you are who God made you to be

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I’m a “Dog Guy” – I have always loved dogs and always had dogs growing up.

Cats are lame.

Don’t even ask me about – fish aren’t pets, fish are appetizers.

The reason I love dogs are simple – they are loyal, loving, and compassionate. Dogs welcome you home, cuddle with you and they protect you. Shoot dogs are “Mans Best Friend” so if you want to be a man – you need to have a dog.

Last year for my birthday my family got me a little shy ball of fluff named Shiloh. Shiloh is a goofy floppy Great Dane that has the body of a horse but the mind of an ameba. She’s cute but she’s dumb. The day we brought her home she was 20 some odd pounds, uncoordinated and didn’t know her own strength. The moment Shiloh walked into our house she was greeted by Dizzy our 10 year old French bulldog who instantly jumped on Shiloh and showed her who was boss. The first few days of their relationship consisted of Dizzy dominating Shiloh at every turn. It didn’t matter if Shiloh started the fight or if Dizzy started the fight – Dizzy always finished the fight. Dizzy was faster, stronger, more experienced and to be honest a little meaner as well.

Well 18 months later, a few things have changed, but a few things have stayed the same. What’s changed was Shiloh is now 120 pounds, she’s over 6 feet long and she’s as strong as an Ox. Dizzy on the other hand is still the same size; still has the same amount of strength, but to be honest she’s lost a step or two in her old age. But what hasn’t changed is Dizzy still beats Shiloh every time they fight. Shiloh has no idea how big or strong she is, she still fights like she’s a baby.

Every time I watch my dogs play I watch Dizzy beat up Shiloh and I wonder when Shiloh is going to realize how much power she has and when she’s finally going to tackle Dizzy, rough her up and decide to be the Alpha.

It’s funny to see this attitude in dogs, but its sad to see this attitude in men. Just like Shiloh, men allow little annoying situations to beat us simply because we have let them beat us in the past. We live our lives small and refuse to accept that we are bigger and stronger than we give ourselves credit for. We allow past situations to beat us today. We allow names we’ve been called in 5^th and 6^th grade determine how we view ourselves today. We allow mistakes in past relationships to steer current relationships. These examples can go on and on and on.

I see guys who struggle with this and I think, “What are you doing? Why aren’t you facing these past demons?” And yet at the same time these guys are looking at me thinking, “Why don’t you deal with your demons Mike?”

So guys I want you to take a look at yourselves and ask yourself, “Am I the little man who cant overcome my situation or am I the Beast that will attack my situation and refuse to be manhandled by it anymore.”

It reminds me of 2 Timothy 1:7:

 For God does not give us a spirit of timidity, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

I know “Timidity” isn’t a word we use very often – or ever. The word means lacking self-confidence; shy or fearful and hesitant.

God says that we are not defined as Timid, but we are full of power, love and self-discipline. God the creator of the entire universe says we are powerful – and yet we want to play small. We want to shy away from your struggles.

I would love to tell you that I am living my life as powerful, but I get timid and shy away from my struggles every now and then. I let the voices from my past tell me I cant do this, I will fail, I will fall short.

If you are anything like me you know exactly when the doubt is going to creep in, when the fear is going to show up, we know this because it has shown up in the places at the same times our entire life.

It’s crazy to think that we choose to believe these negative voices more than the very voice of God that calls us powerful.

It’s funny to watch my big dog get pushed around by my little dog and act like she is tiny. But if anyone ever knocks on my door my big dog turns into a beast. She will bark at you and chase you out of my house. I guarantee that if anyone ever comes into my house uninvited, Shiloh will be 100% beast not little tiny dog. I won’t even need to stand up because the beast will take care of the threat or danger. And yet she still won’t turn and fight my little dog.

I know this attitude is the same in so many of our lives as well. If you come into my house you better have an invitation or I will stop you from getting to my family. I will do what ever I need to do to protect my family, my friends, my loved ones, or anyone else that God has put in my circle of influence. But even though I might be willing to face a man or two men or any other unknown situation I still don’t face the small things that are nagging me. I wont face temptation that still bring me down, I wont face the negative talk that goes on in my head. Why? I don’t know? Partly because I always let it beat me in the past, partly because I haven’t hit reset and started over.

Guys, we need to take some time and really listen to who God tells us we are. We need to see ourselves as powerful men designed and purposed by God. We need to stop listening to the old voices of past parents, coaches, teachers, bullies and anyone else that gets negative replays in our mind. We need to get to a place where we truly believe we are who God tells us we are.