Fighting a Lion

I'm reading an interesting book right now entitled "In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. This book was recommended by a friend so I decided to read it (I got it from Amazon.com). The book is based on a rather obscure story in the Old Testament (2 Samuel 23:20-21) about a man named Benaiah who chased a lion down into a pit and, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it. I've read through the book of 2 Samuel many times and this particular story never stood out to me - it was something that I guess I just read without ever giving thought to it. However, the writer of the "In a Pit . . . " took the time to really think about what kind of person would chase a lion, then go down into a snowy, slippery pit and kill it.

The writer talks about seven skills to help individuals climb out of their own slippery pits and become lion chasers - seizing life by the mane. His chapters, including "Locking Eyes with Your Lion," "Unlearning Your Fears," and "Guaranteed Uncertainty", expand on each of these seven skills.

I can't help but think back to locking eyes with my own lion - my obesity - and feeling completely overwhelmed. I felt like my chances of emerging victorious from this battle were on a par with chasing a lion into a pit on a snowy day and living to tell the story. Twenty years of failure after failure had led me to believe that victory wasn't possible. Yet, against all odds, I made the decision to try one more time. I locked eyes on my lion and felt scared. I didn't want to tame the lion - I wanted to leave its carcass on the floor of the pit, and I wanted to emerge from the pit victorious.

I had reached the point where I knew I couldn't do this on my own - the lion was way too big and had kept me cowering for years. Every time I would make a little progress, one snarl would have me right back where I started. When I made the decision to try one more time, I readily acknowledged my inability to do this on my own and sincerely and desperately asked God to give me the strength I needed.

What I've learned is that God likes to give victories that defy the odds. The Bible is full of stories of impossible situations, where God shows up and gives a victory that nobody expects. When He does that, it's clear who gave the victory and who gets the glory.

That's certainly true for me! I had the right program to help me reach my goal, but without the Lord's strength and grace on a daily basis, I know I wouldn't have gotten there. People have often commented to me about how strong I must have been to have stayed on plan for 11 straight months, but I am quick to let them know that the strength wasn't my own. Each day I had to make the choice to stay on plan, and each day I drew on God's strength to do it. I still do!

We all have lions in our lives, whether it's our weight or something else. I want to encourage you today to lock eyes with your lion and imagine emerging victorious from the fight. It IS possible, and the choice is yours. Go for it!