On which day do lions eat people? Chewsday!

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;   fools despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 1:7

I like lions. Their mane is iconic, what they're identified by. They're in the cat family. I like cats! Lions are often called the "King of the Jungle." In The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan the lion is a Christ figure. That's pretty neat. They are ferocious and fast, they can bring injury and even death in one very intentional motion.  Disney's The Lion King changed their terrorizing image for the better, I can even accredit my love for that film for my love for lions. In The Wizard of Oz, the lion is cowardly, but eventually realizes that he is much more brave than he gives himself credit for. There's something majestic about lions, a pack of lions isn't just called "a pack of lions" it's called a pride. 

Lions and I have a lot in common.
I suppose we can start with the obvious, lions and I are both recognized by our very similar hairstyle, although only male lions have the giant mane, I feel like it's something that we both live with and walk through daily. 
Lions are confident, often reliant on their own power to get things done. However, the power that they use to get things done can often lead to a dwindling in number in the animal kingdom. I'm not exactly a ferocious killer like a lion, but my reliance on myself and my human strength can often lead to my own destruction spiritually, and I'm sure, much to my dismay, my humanity can be seen as a hinderance to my witness to others. Not cool.

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord." Romans 12:11

I like the way that the lions are portrayed in The Lion King. Hakuna Matata. No worries. By the grace of God I live that way now. I know I haven't exactly had a ton of living experience, but I was a very uptight child. I was very cautious, similar to the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz. Everything worried me and I was always very uneasy. I was the most cautious ten year old you'd ever meet. I wasn't really into risky activities. This included sports and most things outdoors. That's probably why I broke 100 pounds as a third grader...
In Matthew 6, Jesus is in the middle of his earth-shattering and status quo breaking Sermon on the Mount. Here, he goes into a long and clearly very passionate talk about worry:

  “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?   “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34

I feel like these words could have offered a great deal of courage to the cowardly lion. Perhaps the way the Wizard of Oz was able to reason with the Dorothy and her motley crew of followers is supposed to be paralleled to the way that Jesus speaks truth into the lives of those he redeems.
I feel in my current season of life, I am able to identify with the "pride" that lions are characterized by. I feel like lions are just in being prideful. They probably the coolest thing around in most jungles, I give them license to be full of themselves. I'm not sure if I have the authority to do that, but I'm going to anyways. I, on the other hand, am absolutely nothing. 

"I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

Without the life that I was given through the Gospel, my life is meaningless. This leaves me with a daunting task and responsibility as I enter the school year ahead. I find pride in being and AFC counselor, being and Impact counselor, and having a bedroom that I decorated with cool stuff all by myself.

The Lord has also given me passion. I'm passionate about my organizations and I'm above all passionate about the life that my Savior brings. The responsibility that daunts me is the one that lies ahead. The class of 2015 is a class full of studs. I will be beyond blessed by spending this coming year with them. However, I have the responsibility and the joy of speaking Truth into their lives on a daily basis. Anything that comes from my mouth that is not from the Lord is meaningless ramble. Since it is not truth, it is lies. I hope and pray that I am not a rambling liar before these freshmen and my student body. This year I have the task of speaking truth in my home and on my campus, to my best friends and to my acquaintances, to those who know the Lord and those who don't.
Lord, give me strength that's not of my self to do work that is not of myself.
I don't pray enough. Nobody does. Let's work on this together.
WHelp. Let's get this year started with a roaring passion (see what i did there?) for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, putting worries and preconceived notions that I have just discussed behind us because Christ has already overcome all of our worries. 
Believers, I challenge us to travel with the fervor of a pack of lions. Finding pride not within ourselves, but within the message that our Lord has so graciously given us.


peacelovethanksandgig'em.