Don't Keep Petting the Lion!

It amazes me how many people think they can "handle" it. How many times have you said, "no worries, I've got this…"

What am I talking about? I'm talking about the lion we all allow to enter our homes. I'm talking about the apex predator that each of us feel confident we can tame. I'm talking about sin.

1 Peter 5:8 says, "Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (NLT)

That's a great analogy. In this day and age, I'm sure we've all seen video of a pet lion that suddenly, and for no apparent reason, turned on its owner and now that person is severely mauled or dead.

That's what happens to us when we refuse to stamp out sin; when we say to ourselves, "I've got this."

We let ourselves believe that because we haven't "stumbled" in a few days/weeks/months/years, we're OK.

But the truth is the "lion" is always there. Always lurking. Always ready to pounce.

That's why Peter tells us to "stay alert!" That's why Peter calls the devil our "great enemy."

I get the picture of a trained military person on overwatch while everyone else gets some sleep. The team can sleep because they have trust in the one watching over them.

We need to place the same trust and faith in the One watching over us, the Holy Spirit.

But we also need to "flee... evil desires… and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22—NIV®)

We shouldn't allow the lion access to our home, to our heart, to our mind. We most certainly shouldn't see how close to the lion we can get without getting hurt.

Flee… run away!

Pursue… run towards!

What a great picture of how we should live each day. Flee evil, pursue righteousness.

How are you pursuing the righteousness of God in your life today? Leave a comment below so that others might be encouraged by your story.