(AKA How to Overcome What's Coming Against Your Goals Being Achieved)
His name was Benaiah. He was a character from the ancients that most of us never heard of. We read right past his story many times. I learned of him from Mark Batterson while I was in LA volunteering at the Dream Center. Anyway, back to Benaiah.
He was a warrior that took on two of the largest and most fierce warriors of all time...at the same time... and won. He faced combat with a spear-wielding Egyptian enemy - armed with only a club in his hand - and took the spear from his foe and killed him with it. Oh... and he found himself in a hand-to-paw duel with a 500 lb lion; when the lion turned and ran into a pit, Benaiah followed him. Wait... read that again... he followed the lion into the pit!! Benaiah was the first recorded Lion Chaser, and today, I propose that when we decide to become one too, we'll forever see our lives growing in limitless degrees.
Mark has written a book with the same title as this article (available for $13.95 by clicking here). In it, he describes how Benaiah warred against the lion that came after him, operating in defensive mode. Mark ties the situation into how we find ourselves in this same defensive mode when we're struggling with what prevents our accomplishments. We don't war with 500 lb felines, but the things we do war with can feel like that. Our wars are mostly with fear and guilt. Two 500 lb attackers...that's for sure.
The thing that makes Benaiah's story one you and I can relate to is that when the lion turned and ran, he chased it! He decided the only way to truly win the battle was to put himself into offensive mode. My hunch is that Benaiah knew all too well if he didn't chase the lion, it would find him and attempt to terrorize him and again and again. So it is true for you and me. Whether our goal is to lose weight, succeed in business, improve our personalities, serve others, build finances or any other goal, we need to go after what gets in the way rather than simply sighing a sigh of relief when the pressure lets up.
Have you been afraid and then found yourself afraid again in the same or a similar situation? I have been afraid... I mean really afraid...in business for one example. Fear of losing money, failing, looking foolish, going it alone, making the wrong decision, you name it. I've been at points where I'd say the fear even brought me to a place of being frozen. Here's the thing I've learned. When we focus on our fear or our pain, we simply can't focus on the goal. And we surely can't focus on the benefits of the goals if we're focused on the fear. The word frozen equals immobile and immobility does not equal forward movement; frozen means no activity at all. No activity equals no progress. We need to remind ourselves we were created to be on the offensive. We need to remind ourselves our possibilities are limit-LESS, not limit-ED.
Fear of failure is the fear of not achieving, looking silly, taking a risk that doesn't turn out the way we want it to. Fear of success is equally - if not more - dangerous. Fear of success holds us back because it tells us we won't fit in if we achieve, we won't belong, we might lose what (or whom) we're comfortable with, we could lose our identity... Here's the thing: the fear of failing or succeeding both hold the same power over us. And they'll both render us goal-less if we stay on the defense and react to them the same way we always have. That's why I think Benaiah put himself on the offense.
When we chase the fear and defeat it, it no longer holds power over us. Faith, or belief, is the process of unlearning our fears. Remember, the scariest moments are the greatest moments. That's when we accomplish the most. We need to remind ourselves that we had planted inside of us before we were born the ability to accomplish far, far bigger things than we can even imagine! We need to remind ourselves it was intended that our bodies be healthy, fully alive, and filled with energy, and that our relationships were to flourish and affect the world with joy and exuberance! Our businesses were given to us with the knowledge that they would EXPLODE with growth! Chase that lion and just watch what happens!
The other big lion in our lives can be guilt over the past. When we keep allowing that lion to rear its head and we continue to dwell on or react to that guilt, we again are frozen. Plus, when we succumb (in the defensive mode) to that guilt, we have no energy left for our dreams. Isn't it amazing how the lions of fear and guilt could be holding so much power over you not achieving your goals? Stop that lion in its tracks now!
I have made the decision to be around people who dream and act on those dreams, so I can be reminded to play offense. Dreamers who do don't stay in defense mode. They're Lion Chasers. When we lack the guts to chase the lion, we forfeit the opportunity to see the glory of the goal attained.
What are your 'lion goals'? What lions have kept you in defense mode? Which ones have you overcome in the past? Which ones will come your way in the future and how can you stay in offense mode? I made my list after hearing Mark teach. Will you make yours now?
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In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day By Mark Batterson
Ever been in the wrong place at the wrong time...several times? These memories leave you with an ill taste in your mouth, and nothing good seems to come from them. But what if the seemingly messy pieces of your life were actually strategically positioned by God? What if you've actually been in the right place at the right time every time? In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day will help you make sense of your past. You'll begin to connect the dots to see clearly how God has been preparing you for future opportunities. With a God's-eye perspective, you'll soon be thanking Him - even for lions, pits, and snowy days.
You can purchase In A Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day by Mark Batterson for only $13.95 by simply clicking this link. Your book will be shipped via UPS and you will have it in a matter of days! Order copy now!
