Alpha Dog

I was having tea with a dear friend the other day, sharing some of the triumphs and tragedies of our lives. My friend mentioned, through all the trials, how thankful she was to have had Jesus, because she didn’t know how she could have made it without Him. Likewise, I agreed that I had been through some pretty major trials before giving my life to the Lord, and I didn’t fare too well trying to navigate those waters by myself. But with Him, I’ve walked with grace and hope through some of the greatest challenges of my life and witnessed Him turning the ashes of destruction into a thing of beauty.

That discussion led me to share with her something God showed me the weekend before. I hope this blesses you, as well.

My dog is like 10 years old. She’s always been so good with us…the ultimate cuddle-pup! But she came to us as a stray with a bit of emotional baggage. You see, with strangers, she’s kind of bitey. Okay…she’s really bitey. Like we don’t allow her to be around other people because she wants to eat them. (Side note: Secluding her from others was not the right way to respond. Who knew?!) But I finally found someone I felt could help us and we began obedience training last week. As it turns out…you actually CAN teach an old dog new tricks. 🙂

For the first time, someone else saw our sweet pup the way we do, even though she was was viscously snarling and barking at them. The fact is, she was acting this way as she hid under my chair with her toothy muzzle poked out from between my calves. They told me that it was less about her being “protective of her masters” and more about her being “possessive of her pack.” She thinks she is the alpha and she is simply afraid because that is not her natural position—and that’s where it got good.

Pack positions are instinctive, determined at birth, and there’s no changing it. You can try to turn a follower into a leader, but if you put a dog like that in charge, it will become anxious and fearful because it doesn’t know what to do. This is our dog’s problem. She thinks she’s the alpha in our home, but somehow, she knows instinctively that we’re supposed to be. So she’s trying to do a job she’s ill-fitted to do and it’s stressing her out because she can’t do it. Then, her fear manifests as aggression. Oh my gosh…Just hold on. Don’t jump ahead. Let’s go a little deeper into pack roles. This is gonna blow your mind (at least it did mine)!

In a pack, there’s an alpha dog and that dog is always found at the front. It’s an alpha dog’s job to lead, protect, and direct the entire pack. There are also omega dogs, who are found at the rear. Omegas are actually servants to the rest of the pack, and their job is to alert the pack to danger. Beta dogs are in the middle, led by the alpha and covered by the omega.

When there is danger or fear among the pack, pack-members place those negative emotions upon one another. As a family, they kind of absorb the pain by comforting one another. The alpha, however, is the main source of comfort, as well as the one who will launch an all out assault against the source of danger, as needed, to protect the pack. However, if the pack had no alpha upon which to place that fear, they would internalize it and it would be expressed in all kinds of crazy ways.

So the plan for our dog is to teach her that we are the alphas. As we teach her how to place her fears on us, she will learn to trust us to care for her every need. And in that small adjustment, she will find peace for her little, puppy soul.

It’s so true that everything in nature is meant to reveal God’s glory!

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.”
–Revelation 22:13

Outside of our walk with Jesus, our battles can seem so overwhelming because we’re all alone, fighting an enemy that we’re completely unqualified to beat. Our total ineptness then begins to manifest as fear, aggression, and all kinds of unhealthy behaviors. As we snarl and growl, trying to appear more intimidating than we truly are, the enemy chuckles at our pathetic façade. When everyone else goes home and the lights go out, he sees us cowering in fear. He knows we’re easy pickin’s out here all alone, completely void of the protection of the pack.

But thank God we don’t have to stay out there! All the power and peace we need is readily available as we finally acknowledge the fact that we are not the alpha and totally submit to the One who is. Jesus is the Alpha…and Omega…The Beginning and the End.

As Omega, our servant-hearted Jesus alerts us to danger so we aren’t taken unaware. You can see his warnings placed all throughout the New Testament in bright, red-letters. He warns us against an enemy that prowls around, seeking to kill steal and destroy us. He warns us against pride and hypocrisy, materialism and sin. As we heed His words, we are protected and safe.

As Alpha, He absorbs our wild emotions and replaces them with His Peace. He gives us confidence because of His strength and He boldly leads us into victory. He is both our Great Covering and our Great Defender—going before us, encircling us on every side, defeating our enemies, and leading us into our next adventure with Him. Within the safety of this pack, we can place our trust in Him and watch as the enemy slowly loses that smug, little grin of his.

For the LORD will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
– Isaiah 52:12

Oh how confident we become by intimately knowing our mighty Savior! How at rest we can live, because we know He is watching over us! How loved we are by a God Who sees us, Who knows our every thought, and Who loves us unconditionally! As we realize HE is our Alpha and our Omega, we can find true rest for our souls, regardless of the trials we may face.

Would you like to pray with me?

Jesus, please help me remember my place in Your Kingdom. Help me hear and heed Your warnings and, when I inevitably try to slip in and attempt to lead the way, I invite You to gently remind me to step back and allow You to do what only You can do. When all seems calamity in my life, I thank You for the peace that surpasses all understanding. You are not just the God Who fights for me, but You are the God Who has already won the battle! I feel safe and at rest, just knowing You are near.

Recommended Listening
“Defender” – Upperroom