Walk Like a Lion Slayer

Our four year old’s name is Benaiah...named after the Benaiah mentioned in the Bible in 2 Samuel 23 who followed a lion down into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. I love the name, and the story...and especially the fact that our Benaiah really, truly, believes he is the same Benaiah from the Bible. I’ll say “Benaiah, be careful” and he'll say "Mom don't you remember I'm brave?". Or “no buddy, you can’t play outside alone...there's too many strangers here” and he'll reply "Did you forget I killed a lion?", or “Niah! Get down from that counter before you fall!!” And he'll just calmly say...”Mom don’t you remember I climbed down in a pit? Don’t you remember I’m strong?” He makes no apologies for it, no excuses, doesn't even give himself an out in case he changes his mind or gets scared about what he's planning to do. He just makes his mind up, reminds me he is a lion chaser, and goes for it.

I often wish I was that brave. I want to be as confident as my four year old. To make my mind up, remind myself I am called, and go for it. I have found myself often downplaying what God has given to me to do. I’ve prayed many times for God to use me. I ask Him to let me influence people and make an impact for Him. And then on a normal, mundane, run of the mill day, one of my kids does something that turns into a teachable moment for them and I realize it parallels a lesson God has been teaching me. Then the lesson plays over and over in my mind until I can get it down on paper and turns into a blog. And then my hand hovers over the “Post” button for a few moments while the same old thoughts flood my mind. I list unending reasons why I shouldn’t share. It’s not a clear writing, nobody will like it, I really have nothing important to say. I’m not professional, it won't impact anybody. I shoot myself down before anyone else has the chance to do it for me. But the fact is, none of the reasons matter if God wants to use it. I can't downplay my calling because of my own insecurities. If I write something that impacts twenty people…awesome. If I write something that nobody at all reads until one day one of my daughters powers on my old iPad and ends up finding something her mom wrote one afternoon…but it furthers God’s kingdom through her? Awesome.

When we know we’re called by God to do something that glorifies Him and furthers His kingdom, we need to walk in confidence

of that call, boldly. We don’t walk with our shoulders slumped, reciting every reason in the book why we won’t succeed. We walk like lion slayers. We walk like we believe we can do it no matter what it looks like in the natural. We do it whether it reaches one or one million. There is no way to know the eternal impact of doing something God has called us to do. We may feel like we have failed, or misunderstood what God called us to do if we go for it and only impact one person. But if that person was changed because of us and they impact three people? And those three impact ten? And one of those ten reaches someone who reaches someone who reaches thousands?

What has God asked you to do that you’ve been downplaying? What are you called to do that feels too big for you? Put away the excuses, lay down the insecurities and do it.

Write the song.

Open the business.

Plant the church.

Give the offering.

Take the class.

Post the blog.

Walk like a lion slayer.