Chasin' The Lions

I got to play dominoes on Wednesday night with Ron and Mary (a married couple who is here for two weeks. They both used to be missionaries with IMM in Brussels, Belgium). They told me their story about following the Lord’s calling into the mission field and the way He put a shield over their hearts.

I brought up the idea about softening (last blog) and Mary said... Yes, we should all pray for God to soften us and fill us up. Then we can pray for Him to put a shield our hearts as He guides us in this great journey.

Ron said... It’s the shield of faith. Isn’t it interesting that when the Bible talks about the armor of God, we get two pieces of defense to cover our front; the shield of faith and the breastplate of righteousness? I guess that’s God’s way of showing us that with His strength/protection we can bravely face our troubles and fears head-on.

Whoa! There’s a book for that! One of the best books I’ve ever read is called, “In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day” by Mark Batterson. It talks about our greatest opportunities lying within our greatest fear/challenge. There are thousands of phobias and fears. We are only born with two of them: the fear of falling and the fear of loud noises. Everything else we have learned. That means they can unlearned. We can unlearn the fears and insecurities that hold us back. Batterson talks about facing our lions headfirst and living with a “lion-chaser” mentality. No more conformity, backing down, or fear. Whew, it got me pumped up. Great summer read if ya need one!

These ideas point me back to one of the songs I got to tell you the other day…

“If you take that first step into the unknown, He won’t let you go. What are you waiting for? What do you have to lose? Your insecurities try to alter you. You know you were made for more. Don’t be afraid to lose. Faith is all it takes and you can walk on the water too.” –Britt Nicole