Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn't Scare You, It's Too Small

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Creative. Inspiring. Challenging. Batterson’s writings always leave us encouraged, and Chase the Lion is no exception. If you feel as if life has caused you to shrink the size of your dreams, this book is for you!” There is a brand of religiosity that seems satisfied with breaking even— don’t do this, don’t do that, and you’ ll be okay. The problem with that is this: you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right. Breaking even is breaking bad. God has called us to play offense with our lives. Those who simply run away from what’s wrong will never amount to more than half Christians. The only way to tap your God-given potential, to fulfill your God-ordained destiny is to chase five-hundred-pound lions. When I was nineteen years old, I heard a sermon that would change the trajectory of my life. Sam Farina preached about a man named Benaiah, who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day. I had never heard the story, and I could barely believe it was in the Bible. But a thought fired across my syn- apses: If I ever write a book, I’ d like to write a book about that verse. That was the genesis of a dream titled In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. Based upon 2 Samuel 23, Chase the Lion tells the true story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day - and then killed it. For most people, that situation wouldn’t just be a problem...it would be the last problem they ever faced. For Benaiah, it was an opportunity to step into his destiny. After defeating the lion, he landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard and eventually became commander-in-chief of Israel’s army under King Solomon.

I just finished Chase the Lion and am in tears, in awe of how my God created me to be a warrior for His great name. Mark’s words force me to ask and answer: What lions am I chasing? What dreams am I dreaming that will make a difference in my children and my children’s children and a hundred years from now?”We seek out community in everything we do—and our dreams should be no different. In Chase the Lion, Batterson reminds us to come together, share our dreams, and chase after them. And in doing so, we become not only dream chasers but dream catchers for the others in our pride.” Nomadic groups often consist of many males who band together to share hunting responsibility. As shown in the video below, nomadic groups can be especially successful in hunting large prey, as they have power in numbers. Lions Are Cultural Icons At the end of our lives, our greatest regrets will be the God-ordained opportunities we left on the table, the God-given passions we didn’t pursue, and the God-sized dreams we didn’t go after because we let fear dictate our decisions.

One period of time in which the lion saw a lot of attention was in the medieval period. During this time, they were commonly depicted on weaponry and family crests as a symbol of nobility and honor. Additionally, lions made many appearances in medieval bestiaries, serving as a moral lesson in both a religious and secular manner. Is It Normal for Lions to Hunt in Groups?In addition to being one of the most well-known animals, lions also have a lot of spiritual and cultural significance. Mark Batterson’s writing has had a profound impact on my life, both personally and professionally. Join me in accepting Mark’s challenge to pursue a dream so big that only God can turn it into a reality. Life is better when you’re chasing lions!” Scripture doesn’t explain what Benaiah was doing or where he was going when he crossed paths with the lion. We don’t know the time of day or his frame of mind. But it does reveal his gut reaction, and it was gutsy. Mismanaged success is the leading cause of failure; well-managed failure is the leading cause of success.”

Based upon 2 Samuel 23, Chase the Lion tells the true story of an ancient warrior named Benaiah who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day—and then killed it. For most people, that situation wouldn’t just be a problem…it would be the last problem they ever faced. For Benaiah, it was an opportunity to step into his destiny. After defeating the lion, he landed his dream job as King David’s bodyguard and eventually became commander-in-chief of Israel’s army under King Solomon. As you begin this dream journey, don’t go it alone. Dreamers love com- pany! Chase the lion with a friend, a spouse, a mentor. Form a pride, just as lions do. Together you can accomplish far more than the sum total of your shared dreams. The God who is able to do immeasurably more than all you can ask will accomplish something way beyond what you can imagine,7 just as He did for David and his mighty men. If you find yourself in a pit with a lion on a snowy day, you’ve got a problem. Probably the last problem you’ll ever have! But you’ve got to admit, “I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day” looks awfully impressive on your résumé, es- pecially if you’re applying for a bodyguard position with the king of Israel. When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and into the visual cortex, the brain relays an urgent message to the body: run! That’s what normal people do, but normal is overrated. Lion chasers don’t run away; lion chasers run to the roar. They don’t see a five-hundred- pound problem; they seize opportunity by the mane. They don’t take flight; they fight to the death for their dreams. Chase the Lion is a powerful, passionate, and inspiring message! When you pursue God’s dream for your life, it can be a little scary, but man is it worth it!”This is a wake-up call to stop living as if the purpose of life was to simply arrive safely at death. Our dreams should scare us. They should be so big that without God they would be impossible to achieve. Quit running away from what you’re afraid of.