Author:
Marcus A. Turner
The lion has long been considered the King of beasts. Now, this is not a relatively modern concept; this has been understood throughout world history. The majestic nature of lions has been recognized by many great men, scholars, and theologians. Most would concur, that the lion is indeed the King of beasts. Why is this so, and how did he accomplish this feat? Why would it be necessary to identify one above the rest? Well, this alone is God's work, Psalms 75:6-7 notes. "For promotion cometh neither from the east nor from the west, nor the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one and setteth up another." Though God has the last say so, it is the lion's nature and how he thinks that separates him from the other animals. It is in his thoughts, attributes, and in how he leads and the wisdom in which he builds. It is his consciousness, and how the lion ascends into leadership. The power of personality that starts with young vigor and brute force that later gives way to soberness that tempers his violent nature, and he becomes a father, a teacher, provider, and protector. He then matures into a wise and thoughtful Emperor, a King of Kings, that oversees a region. A master strategist, who is more cerebral than brutish, and ultimately a patriarch who gives his remaining years to training and the development of others. The British writer Martin Amis noted: "Only in art will the lion lie down with the lamb, and the rose grows without thorns." Friedrich Schiller pointed out: "Did you think the lion was sleeping because he didn't roar?" The poet R.M. Drake stated: "She slept with wolves without fear, for the wolves knew a lion was among them." God is a God of order, and different levels provide it; by qualifying those who believe they are of leadership pedigree. Leadership is not in a look or a swagger but a consciousness. The Lion leader, is who he is, and you are who you are; based on your level. The higher the level of consciousness, the more effective the leader will be.
Most of us have come to understand that in life, there are levels. Before we can learn to navigate the next level, we must first master the level we are on because our current level prepares us for our future promotion. We also know that struggle is a part of everyone's existence because adversity is within life's DNA; we are all being prepared for what's next. Therefore, no matter how much wealth one has, or friends or power, all are struggling on their levels of consciousness. They, too, are being prepared for what's next. It would be factual to say that the adversity that exists on a higher level is more challenging and requires more focus, drive, faith, and commitment. "To whom much is given, much is required."
The Author James Allen said: “The thoughtless, the ignorant, and indolent, seeing only the apparent effects of things and not the things themselves, talk of law, of fortune, and chance. Seeing a man grow rich, they say, "How lucky he is!" Observing another become intellectual, they exclaim, "How highly favored he is!" And noting the saintly character and wide influence of another, they remark, "How chance aids him at every turn!" They don't see the trials and failures and the struggles which these men have voluntarily encountered in order to gain their experience; have no knowledge of the sacrifices they have made, of the undaunted efforts they have put forth, of the faith they have exercised, that they might overcome the apparently insurmountable, and realize the vision of their heart. They do not know the darkness and the heartaches; they only see the light and the Joy, and they call it “luck”; do not see the longing arduous journey, but only behold the pleasant goal, and call it "good fortune"; do not understand the process, but only perceive the result, and call it “chance”.”
For this reason, I am often surprised when people say to me, "You know I am working so hard so that I can get to a place where I won't have to worry about anything." Right, you shouldn't worry, and you should work hard. But there will be struggle and adversity as long as you have breath. Life is adversity and struggle is life. Your reward for winning the last battle is a new and tougher one. There is no perfect job, man, woman, or marriage. The better man you acquire, the better the woman you must be. The better the woman you desire, the better man you must be. If you want a great job, do great work, and be an exceptional employee. Whatever you don't manage, you will lose. Jesus told us that offenses would come, that we would receive blessings, but they would come with persecution. The more assets and responsibility you have, the more the attacks will come. God elevates us based on our ability to handle these offenses. It's natural for us to desire more, but is it wise? It seems foolish to want a million dollars before we figured out how to manage the extra one hundred dollars we have. The extra hundred may be causing you stress, but a million will kill you. If you are faithful with little, you will be faithful with much. All good gifts come from God, but it will require work to maintain them.
The Apostle Peter said: "Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day (2 Peter 3:8 AMP)." The Bible says that God created the world in 6 days, and on the 7th, he rested. I guess one could conclude that He worked 6,000 years and is resting in year 7,000. We all seek comfort, but comfort is the enemy of success, and complacency is where all good things die, and an idle mind is the devil's workshop. I don't think we should be looking for comfort or rest now when there's so much work to do. I think that comes in death, to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord. However, perhaps we should be interested in what we can do to make the world a better place, to remember we're not fighting against flesh and blood, but principalities and powers in high places. Jesus asked us to pray that God's "will" be done on earth as it is in heaven. Prayer is an action word and requires faith. Faith without works is dead. I challenge us to be about the business Christ left us. The church doesn't need us, the world does. We cannot continue to hide in our cocoons while the world outside is in free-fall. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We must leave our safe havens and go out into the world and be the catalyst of change the world needs. In this life, there are levels. We must work hard regardless of the opposition, to be the best we can be for ourselves, but most of all, for our communities. The world needs more leaders, Lions, and Lionesses that are not interested in satisfying their belly but are interested in making life better for those that are here now, and for those that are to come. Let's do the work and be the leaders the world needs. Have A Great Day!
