Thursday, December 29, 2016

CONQUER YOUR LION

CONQUER YOUR LION
Proverb 22:13: The slothful man saith, there is a lion without, I shall be slain in the streets.
                                                                                                                                               
It is a proverb about making excuses and becoming a less effective Christian. The Lion is a vicious animal that hunts its preys with precision. It is an animal that every man will like to avoid due to fear.
§   Most of us have formed imaginary lions outside our homes that prevent us from stepping out and fulfilling our responsibilities.
§   The passage says the slothful or lazy Christian in order not to do God’s will, creates lion around his home, path etc.
§   The Christian is a servant/worker of God, so there is nothing like a stagnant or unengaged Christian
§   We need to witness, pray, fellowship to encourage ourselves, study the Word of God and serve one another in love.

What are some of these imaginary Lions we form to avoid being effective Christians
§   Time‘I just don’t have the time’ is an excuse we all give all the time. Am a family man, busy schedule, action-packed life, exaggerated business activities to justify shorter prayer times, less time to study or meditate on God’s Word.
§   Money:  A popular lion.Yes, money answers everything, but should lack of it demobilize us from performing our God-given responsibility? Hm, I can’t fellowship, I can’t witness, I can’t do this, I can’t do that. God equips when He calls, remember.
§   Sickness:  Bible gives guidelines about quarantine but should we exaggerate our ill-feeling or headache to avoid our physical or spiritual responsibilities. I can’t fellowship but you attend all the funerals as a sympathizer. We attend all the parties, we attend all the political rallies- just for a mere t-shirt and a few monies which won’t last a period.
§   Children: Our children have become lions- excuse for some parents to avoid their God-given responsibilities. The normal excuse is because of my child I cannot do anything. Forgetting that God gave them to you.
§   Speech Impediments/ Shyness: Some of us can read scripture publickly. Preach or even interpret but our lion has been - I can’t speak well like this brother or Sister. Some of us have become like Moses when he was called by God to deliver (Exodus 4:10-11).
§   Lack of Education: I have not seen anywhere in the Bible that God called somebody and asked him to go to school or he is not educated. Saul (Paul) was educated but went about persecuting the church until God called him and he testified in Galatians 1 that he did not consult any man. Peter and John were mere fishermen but preached Christ to the marvel of the educated (Act 4:13-14). He is God, He chooses rather the less respected and rejected thins to shame the proud.
Of course there are genuine reasons but should we exaggerate them into lions, intimidating lions that justify our inactivity?

How can we get rid of these Lions?
  • Understand the force motivating these thoughts. The real lion is not the imagery one but the devil, who is not only outside your homes and streets but inside you, seeking to maul our minds, influence our motivations and cause us to shun our Christian responsibilities.
  • 1Peter 5:8- Be active and defeat the concocted lion in our minds.
  • Seek God’s help through prayer, the Holy Spirit and the word
Conclusion

Become a more effective Christian. Conquer your lion!

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