your relation with animals

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Animals are part of God's creation on earth. They have a clearly defined place that God has given them within that same creation. Today, and since Adam named all the animals on earth, things have quite changed. This teaching will give you a biblical view about animals so that you can have the relationship with them that was originally intended.

When you build a house, and it's for your personal living space, you build the structure, then put in doors and windows. Then you furnish and decorate it. And it's only when everything is ready that we move in to live in it and enjoy it. Well, God also did this when he made our planet and everything on it.

Genesis 1:25-26 And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

It was only when the whole of creation was ready for man that God created Adam. This shows us that creation and everything in it is there primarily to serve and benefit man.

More than 6,000 years later, we can see that in our time this order of things that God gave us has sometimes changed, creating certain mentalities. The Bible shows us that Adam named all the animals of the earth when he was looking for a helper in his likeness. This help in the person of Eve was not to come to Adam's aid, because he did not have a job in the sense that everyone has to provide for themselves as we do today. But the help Adam sought was help in multiplying the image of God on earth by procreating other human beings, making Adam and Eve a single person.

Let's quickly note that not only did God consider that no animal was capable of procreating with a human, but also that God had to create two human beings, a male and a female, from Adam in order to be able to reproduce, joining together to make one being. This is why God made it impossible for a human and an animal, or two male humans, or two female humans, to procreate, and nothing and no-one can change this fact. Any attempt at physical union other than between a male and a female being is a direct attack on the order of things that God has created, and such actions are an insult to the order of creation that God has put in place. This is why such attitudes (very often without the knowledge of those who practise them) have their origins in demonic false suggestions.

Adam therefore named all the animals of creation. Naming animals does not mean giving them a first name as a person, but simply to differentiate them according to their species. This is why today we have different names for different species of animal.

It should be noted that the Hebrew people had a very particular way of using names. A name is given to a person to determine who they are. We can see this throughout the Old Testament and the New Covenant. To take just a few examples, Jesus himself is called Jesus because his name means "God is salvation". We can also see that Jesus names his apostles according to who they are - Simon is called Peter.

Matthew 10:2 Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter …

We can also see that this rule applies even in the spiritual world. People are called according to who they are.

Matthew 5:19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

John the Baptist was called John on the instructions of his mother. John means "God is gracious". We can see that this name was exactly the character of John, for John is the person who announced the coming of God's grace on earth.

Luke 1:60 But his mother answered and said, No, he shall be called John.

There are many more examples of this throughout the Bible, including God Himself naming Himself according to who He is in Exodus 3:14.

Even if this way of doing things has become much more diluted nowadays, this shows us that the name given to an animal must be according to who it is (its race), which is why Adam named them all by category. It is therefore unbalanced to give your pet the name of a human being, as we often see today. An animal is not a human being and should not be called a human name. This kind of attitude of calling your pet, or companion animal a human name is an effect that shows that many people consider their companion animal to be a person. An animal is not a person and never will be, because God created things with domestic animals in one category and humans in another.

But these days, as we said earlier, things have moved on a bit. For some, domestic animals have become what we call pets or companion animals. Yet God never specified a category of animals that would be there to keep their masters or mistresses company. There is nothing wrong with human companionship, and the Bible exhorts us to enjoy each other's company, with God at the centre of that fellowship.

1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

So there's nothing wrong with enjoying each other's company. But if a person relies on an animal for companionship, then that animal is outside of God's plan for that person, and will never have the desired result, even if that person thinks otherwise.

In the Christian world, I sometimes see rather extreme cases where certain people have "humanised" their domestic animal, sometimes without really realising it. Nowhere in the Bible can we see that a domestic animal has a first name, that it is spoken to like a human, or that it is treated like a human, even better than some other humans are treated.

Marketing, driven by a demonic deception, saw in this a financial windfall. In Australia, for example (and it's not the only country), there are restaurants for pets, hotels when their owners have to go away, day-care centres for a day or more, bakeries where you can buy a cake for your pet's birthday, clothes shops, and much more. I've seen people take their dog or cat for a walk in a pram just as they would a child - what a tragedy!

So-called "pets" or companion animals are sometimes much more important to their owners than certain human beings. These are extreme cases of course, but it is far more common to see Christians paying more attention to their companion animal than to their fellow human beings. Of course, the people concerned will retort that they are not concerned and that their attitude towards their animal is in no way more caring and respectful than towards their neighbour. Very often people in this situation lack objectivity about themselves, not seeing (or not wanting to see) their problem.

I won't go into detail, as there are far too many examples. However, we can quickly cite people who speak to their animal as if it were a human being, as if the animal would respond in the same language. This is in the sense of a conversation to which the animal, unable to express itself verbally, would of course never respond. Or other people who show great consideration for their companion animal, creating accounts on social networks, or boasting that their pet means everything to them. We can also sometimes see people who serve their companion animal, becoming their pet's servant by belittling themselves in front of the animal. This kind of attitude is often indicative of a communication problem with other human beings. An animal will not contradict its master verbally in the same way as a human might in a conversation, so it's easy to understand why it's so easy to have a relationship with an animal where you're the only one talking.

From my observation and experience, most of these people are very often touchy, having a certain mentality that leads to an underestimation of themselves, which undermines a full loving relationship with God. So it's good to be able to honestly ask yourself the question: "Why do I have a pet?

... Is it because I have difficulty in my relationships with others?

... Is it because my pet makes me feel understood?

... Is it because I can tell it what's on my mind?

... Is it because I like to have an animal with me when I want it, even if it's out of its environment?

... Is it because my pet appeases me?

... Does my pet make me feel useful and protective by looking after it?

…Or do you have a pet against the advice of one of your family members because it creates a disturbance?

If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then the chances are that your relationship with your pet is not what God intended.

The Bible shows us that God created domestic animals and that He made a difference between wild and domestic animals.

Genesis 2:20 (NIV) So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

In this context, domestic animals are animals that play an active part in human life. For example, an ox will help to pull a plough, a cow will give milk, a hen will give eggs, a sheep will give wool, etc...

As I often say, satan mimics what God does. I usually say that God created the concept of domestic animals in order to serve man, and satan created the concept of companion animals so that man would serve animals. And therein lies the problem: animals were given to us to serve us, not the other way round.

Some people might say to me: "But Franck, my pet serves me because it keeps me company". To this I would reply, on the one hand, ‘no’, because it is you who serve your animal by the time you devote to it, and on the other hand, if you are a born again person and you suffer from loneliness, then you have a problem in your relationship with God. You are not experiencing what God has planned for you, and an animal will never fill the gap.

Loneliness, to the extent of having a pet locked up, is the effect of a way of thinking that is far too self-centred. If your pet is locked up most of the time in a cage, in your flat or even your house, it's because you're self-centred, because God didn't create animals to live in confinement.

But that's not the heart of the matter, even if it's not a good thing. On average, a pet takes its owner at least two hours a week to do minimal chores, if you add up all the tasks it generates. Well, if you spent that time studying and praying, I guarantee you wouldn't have that need for companionship or to feel like a protector with your pet.

Of course, we're not talking here about people who, for example, live on a farm with animals who are independent. Nor are we talking about people who, for example, are blind and have a dog to guide them. Of course this type of case is exceptional, but it should not be used as an opportunity to treat one's animal better than another.

There are sometimes attitudes that go a little more unnoticed but are just as harmful, such as people who put their companion animals before human beings. This kind of example can be seen when an organisation puts the animal's needs before those of the people in the house. This type of case is the most widespread, and at the same time the one that goes most unnoticed, because the owner(s) will in most cases deny the fact that they are sacrificing their daily tasks for the needs of their pet.

Let's put things in their proper place!

God did not say: "Love your animal as yourself" or "Look after your animal as you would your neighbour". Nowhere in the Ten Commandments, in the 613 laws of the Old Testament or in the whole of the New Covenant can we see that we have to take an interest in a pet. On the other hand, the one and only emphasis that God gives, or that Jesus taught, concerns only our neighbour. The Bible shows us that an animal, whatever it may be, will never be a human being and will never have the value of a human being.

John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

1 Peter 1:22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart…

This shows us that the human being is the only being on earth who has value for God, in the sense that the human being is the only being who will go to heaven. Jesus did not give His life for creation, but for God's creature. An animal is part of creation, but in no way is it God's creature, even if it was created by God. That's why it's extremely important to put things in their place, to have a vision and attitudes that are in line with what God tells us. Otherwise it will affect my relationship with God.

Why is this?

If you have a "human" relationship with your animal or consider having a pet, then your vision of creation is distorted, because that's not how God established things (we won't come back to this point). In this case, you are, to a greater or lesser degree, dependent on your pet.

Before taking offence, try to think about it for a moment. If even a tiny part of your peace, joy or well-being comes from the presence of your animal, then you are at an equivalent level dependent on it. It's simple logic: anything that gives me something I can't live without has control over me.

2 Peter 2:19 … for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.

Some people might say to me: "Franck, it's obvious, you don't like animals".

To this I would reply that this is not the case at all. In fact, I've sometimes told brothers or sisters who had unbalanced attitudes towards their animals that I thought I loved them much more than they did. An animal is made to live in an environment that God has given it, not in an environment that is not its own to begin with. An animal was not created to be locked up in a cage, a flat or any other room. When I see cases like this, I feel sorry for the animal and I tell myself that it has had bad luck in its life, because of a human being who has not understood the relationship he or she should have with animals, and that an animal will never give them what only God can give. I love all the creation that God has given us, but I try to keep it in its place and maintain the order of things that God has established.

Your pet won't follow you to heaven because it has no spirit, because only a spirit can enter the spiritual world. It's much better for you to find a relationship with God that fulfils you, that gives you everything you could want in terms of a relationship. It is far better for you to find a relationship with your neighbour in which you will enjoy fellowship as the Bible describes it.

Yes, you will have disappointments in your relationships with your neighbours. Yes, you will have disappointments with your spouse, your children or your friends. Jesus never said this wouldn't happen, because everyone is at a different level of maturity, or at a different level in their relationship with God. But that's no reason to focus on an animal trying, unconsciously or not, to avoid any difficult situation with others, or to draw your peace or well-being from it.

satan understood the problem a long time ago, which is why he created the concept of companion animals in order not only to limit fellowship, to isolate people in certain cases, but also to have one more area to keep Christians busy with something other than their spiritual transformation into the image of Christ.

Bye for now...