The Lion Approach

The Lion Approach

By Grant Gaines

Have you ever wondered why lions are called the King of the Jungle? Sure, many of them are bigger, stronger, and faster than most animals, but what about the hippopotamus which is bigger, the gorilla which is stronger, and the cheetah which is faster, why don’t any of them get the crown?

I’m not 100% sure why the lion has been dubbed the King of the Jungle, but if you asked me, I would say it’s how they handle fear in comparison to the other beasts. You remember what lions do when they are frightened, don’t you? You don’t? Huh, that’s weird. Come to think of it I can’t recall ever seeing a lion cower in fear either. And you know what? After doing a little research I ran across Proverbs 30:30 (NIV, italics mine) which says, “a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing.” Certainly that’s just a hyperbole, right? There’s no way a lion is never afraid.

Well, come to find out, scientist agree with the Bible by saying that lions are the only known mammal that have no fear of any predator. Lions are, in every sense of the word, fearless. Pretty cool, huh?

And you know what else is cool? In Proverbs 28:1 (NIV) God proclaims that, “…the righteous are as bold as lions.” Did you catch that? The righteous – those who have had their sins paid for by Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21) – are as bold as lions – you know, the animal that has no fear.

Is that how you’re living your life – fearlessly? According to Proverbs 28:1 it should be because our Maker did not create us to flee like a spooked horse, to be paralyzed by fear like a deer in the headlights, or pretend like nothing is going wrong as the storm rages all around you like the ostrich. Instead, we read in 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) that, “…God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.”

That means that any fear that we have (except of course the healthy fear of the Lord) is not from God but is of the devil. In fact, our Mighty Defender commands – not suggests – but commands that His people “fear not” 127 times (NASB) throughout the Bible. A good rule of thumb is if God instructs us not to do something even once, we better not do it. Well how much more, then, should we quit cowering and allow, “…the Lord to be [our] confidence” (Proverbs 3:26, NIV) if He commanded us to do so 127 times in His Word!?

And don’t think that God is telling you not to fear because the source of your fear is not real – it’s quite the opposite in fact. We shouldn’t worry, not because we don’t have real problems – “In this world you will have trouble…” Jesus said in John 16:33a (NIV, italics mine) – but because we have a Victorious Conqueror as a friend – “…but take heart for I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b, NIV).  God knows that the source of your fear is real but He also knows that the source of your strength, Himself (Exodus 15:2), has all the power over that fear.

If you are looking for an example of this type of lion-like approach to fear in the Bible, look no further than Abraham’s response to a frightening situation in Genesis 18. Abraham was sitting outside of his tent one day when over the horizon he saw what looked like three men approaching his dwelling place. Abraham ran out to meet them only to discover that these were no ordinary men but rather two heavenly hosts and the Lord (many scholars believe this could possibly be a pre-incarnate Christ) disguised in the appearance of a man.

To say that Abraham was awestruck does not begin to describe the flood of emotions that were rushing over him as he stood close by as the three ate the meal Abraham had prepared for them. But soon after they had finished eating, Abraham was informed by the Lord, “…The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so grievous that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know.” (Genesis 18:20-21, NIV).

To add a twist to the whole story, Abraham’s nephew, Lot, who had lived with him for the majority of his life had recently moved away from Abraham to the city of…yep, you guessed it, Sodom…yikes! So there Abraham was, watching the undercover angels make their way to destroy the city his closest relative lived in.

Now, moms, if you were in Abraham’s shoes and you had just learned that something bad was going to happen to one of your dearly loved family members, someone who was as close to you as a child, what would you do? You would run after them to stop them, wouldn’t you? You would beg and plead with them to turn their wrath elsewhere. Many of you would even offer yourself to take the place of that loved one if the choice presented itself. But what did the patriarch of Israel do?

“The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord” (Genesis 18:22, NIV). Unlike the deer in the headlights, the ostrich, or the spooked horse, Abraham did not run, hide, or become paralyzed by fear because of the impending doom that was headed towards his nephew. Rather, Abraham, “…approach[ed] the throne of grace with confidence…” (Hebrews 4:16, NIV) to make his circumstances known to the only One who had the power to change them.

Abraham was able to stand in the presence of fear because he first stood in the presence of his Savior. Is this how you respond to a bad test result, a bumpy relationship, or an unforeseen expense? Through the help of the very Holy Spirit who brought Jesus Christ back from the grave and now lives inside you (Romans 8:11), it can be. And as you listen to His voice inside your troubled heart you will hear Him whisper, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7, NIV).

The world is a scary place, but you have a Father who has given you victory over every fear. Are you living in that victory today?

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©Grant Gaines 2013