“Run to the roar. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-given passions. Go after a dream . . . destined to fail without divine intervention.”- excerpt from “The Lion-Chaser’s Manifesto,” Mark Batterson
Mark Batterson wrote Chase the Lion as a sequel to his firstborn book, In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day. In Chapter 1 (“Chase the Lion”), Pastor Batterson asserts that we tend to overrate normality. Lion chasers run to the roar, they don’t run away. Furthermore, lion chasers exhibit what Napoleon Bonaparte called “the rarest attribute among Generals . . . two o’clock courage.”
Therefore, as Mark encourages, you’re one idea, risk, or decision away from a completely different life. Although that decision or risk may be the toughest or scariest you’ll ever take, your dream must be big enough to scare you.
In addition, courage flips the script. For example, when Benaiah encountered the lion in 2 Samuel 23:20, the lion turned tail and Benaiah gave chase. As a result, that one decision determined his destiny.
Furthermore, Mark observes, there comes a moment in every dream journey when you must stop living as if life’s purpose is solely to arrive safely at death:
“You have to go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. You have to go big or go home . . . take the road less traveled or settle for the status quo . . . bite the bullet or turn your back on your dreams.”
Pastor Batterson exhorts us to live like God truly exists, not merely believe. To often, Mark notes, people “let their circumstances get between them and God instead of letting God get between them and their circumstances.”
When we dream God-sized dreams, we run to the roar. God-glorifying, God-sized dreams extend well beyond our ability.
In conclusion, Pastor Batterson encourages, “God honors big dreams because big dreams honor God.”
Today’s question: During your desert, transition time, what opportunities push you to run to the roar? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The size of your dream”
