Caring For Your Inner Animal

Once again, I will speak from an uncommon perspective. Rather than addressing you as your “animal” self, I’ll address you as your “spiritual” self. My intention in doing this is to help you (and me) more fully understand the situation in which we presently find ourselves.

In an earlier post I said, “If the spiritual aspect within any human being were to be removed, what would remain would be a large mammal. That large mammal would then behave like any other mammal. A very clever mammal too be sure, but chasing all its drives and urges in very predictable, mammalian ways.” Many would like to think that mammalian minds (including humans) are “blank slates” easily programmed or re-programmed into any desired form, but they are not. Rather they function within specific patterns of behavior common to all mammals. Within those common patterns are more patterns – patterns of behavior specific to each kind of creature (see ‘ethology’). In the Bible, Paul refers to those behaviors of the inner mammal as “the flesh nature”.

I also said in that earlier post, “You are not that mammal. You (the spiritual ‘you’) simply reside in that mammal.” In a sense, we are like ‘guardian angels’ for our mammals and it’s our primary job to take care of it and teach it to behave according to God’s principles.” Those principles often require behaviors that are quite different from natural animal behaviors.

Neither are you (the spiritual ‘you’) a mind. We are invisible spirit beings in possession of visible, physical mammalian bodies. Mammalian brains generate mammalian minds – minds designed to have direct control over their respective physical bodies. Those minds are also quite invisible. Among the animals in the created world, only human beings are possessed by a spirit. Each of us is unique – our bodies are unique and the minds in those bodies are unique – each of our situations is unique.

Our function, while we are in residence, is to guide the animal mind of the mammal we possess as we ourselves are guided. We in turn are guided, hopefully, by the Holy Spirit – Who can be in residence and in close association. If we are not guided by the Holy Spirit, then we are either without any guidance at all or are being led by some other spirit which could very easily be demonic. If we are not being led by the Holy Spirit, we may be totally unaware of just what our present situation is. We may be led to believe we are completely independent when in fact we are being guided by a demonic spirit.

As caretakers, we do not need to feed, clothe, house, relate to other creatures or physically defend our particular mammals. Any mammalian mind is fully capable of doing those things. However, a significant part of our responsibility is to see that our mammals do those behaviors in accordance with God’s principles.

God’s principles are different from the behaviors our animals would naturally follow. At the very least we must teach our animal-selves to love God and love others of our kind. No other created being has such a responsibility.

At the beginning of each of our lives we exist as functioning and reasonably affective spirits. But sadly, the spirits of many humans are neither exercised or nourished, rather they are left to atrophy over time to the extent that they are unable to effectively govern their animal minds. Some may even be in such poor condition that their human minds are in control. In some individuals that condition may have progressed so far that they have lost awareness of their spiritual aspect and may even deny its very existence. It seems that such individuals are almost always burdened with legal, financial and relationship problems.

The human race has been blessed with some members who have the ability to bring atrophied or misled human spirits into consciousness, and strengthen and direct them sufficiently so they can assume their intended function. We often call such individuals “evangelists.”

Others are helpful and encouraging in our ‘training’ experiences. We sometimes call such individuals “teachers” or “pastors.” However, such people are very often simply associates or friends of those in training.

Christ has promised to return for us, and it looks very much like that day is fast approaching. I have assumed that you are an alert spirit in control. If that is not the case, now would be a good time to gain some strength and control. Christ Himself is available for help – submit yourself to His care through prayer. If you need encouragement, please know there are many who are willing and able.

You can do that can’t you? To not do so would be unbelievably foolish and you (the spiritual ‘you’) are not a fool.

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