The book of 2 Samuel, chapter 23, lists the names "of the mighty men whom [King] David had" (verse 8).

One was "Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man, of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lion-like men of Moab: he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow" (verse 20).

Scripture doesn't tell us what Benaiah was doing when he encountered this lion. We don't know his frame of mind, but we do know his reaction. And it was gutsy!

When the image of a man-eating beast travels through the optic nerve and registers in the brain, there's generally one over-arching message: Run away as fast and as far as you can.

Normal people run away, but not lion chasers! Lion chasers are a different breed. They don't see five-hundred pound problems. When opportunity roars, they grab life by the mane!

Let's state the obvious here: Benaiah was not the odds-on favorite. Not only do fully grown lions weigh up to 500 pounds (225 kilos) and run 35 mph (55 kph), their vision is five times better than a human with 20/20 vision! This lion had a huge advantage in a dimly lit pit. A sure-footed lion with cat-like reflexes gains the upper paw in snowy, slippery conditions.

Doesn't it seem like Benaiah is choosing his battles poorly? It's too risky. It's too unpredictable. It's too dangerous. But Scripture doesn't say that Benaiah was a prudent warrior. It says he was a valiant warrior.

Lion chasers don't try to avoid situations where the odds are against them. Lion chasers know that impossible odds set the stage for amazing miracles! Those are the experiences that make life worth living. Those are the experiences worth telling stories about.

For most of us, finding ourselves in a pit with a lion on a snowy day is the last place we'd want to be. But you've got to admit something: "I killed a lion in a pit on a snowy day" looks awfully impressive on your résumé if you're applying for a bodyguard position with the King of Israel!

Not only did Benaiah land a job as David's chief bodyguard, he climbed all the way up the military chain of command to become commander of Israel's army. Benaiah was the second most powerful person in the kingdom of Israel. But his genealogy of success can be traced all the way back to a life-and-death encounter with a man-eating lion. It was fight or flight, and Benaiah had the guts to chase the lion.

God needs more people with the spirit of Benaiah. One of the most under-appreciated dimensions of great leaders is guts. Great leaders are gutsy! It takes different shapes in different arenas. But gutsy leaders and gutsy Christians dare to be different. They challenge the status quo.

No one was more gutsy than Jesus! He wasn't afraid of offending Scribes and Pharisees, touching lepers, washing feet, defending prostitutes, or befriending tax collectors.

In the words of British author Dorothy Sayers: "The people who crucified Jesus did not do so because He was a bore. Quite the contrary; He was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround Him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the Lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests (and pastors) and pious old ladies."

I used to wonder about the episode recorded in John 2 where Jesus threw a Temple tantrum, making a whip and throwing the merchants and money changers out of the Temple. It didn't fit my Sunday School caricature of Him.

But I've come to appreciate that side of Jesus. He was the Lamb of God, but He was also the Lion of the tribe of Judah. It took guts to turn the Temple upside-down and inside-out.

He needs more gutsy leaders—and followers—who follow suit.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it" (Matthew 11:12, NIV). There is nothing remotely passive about following Jesus!

Faithfulness to Him has nothing to do with maintaining the status quo or holding the fort. It has everything to do with competing for the Kingdom and storming the gates of Hell.

The gates of Hell are defensive. The church is called to play offense! (Matthew 16:18).

What lion is God calling you to chase?

Make this your manifesto: Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop criticizing and start creating. Expand your horizons.

Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the lion!

And remember: If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

 [end]

[ Commentary ]

Go all out for Jesus! He's the Lion of the tribe of Judah, and with Him on your side, and within you, there's no lesser lion you can't chase and overcome and defeat! Whatever other lion you face will have to yield to Him, because all power is given unto Him, in Heaven and on Earth (Matthew 28:18), and He has given that same power to you! "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name" (John 1:12).

So you have the power of the Son of God because you, too, are a son of God. You can do great things for Him, and He's hoping you will. You too can be a "mighty man" or a "mighty woman," no matter who you are. God specializes in using little people, ordinary people, to do extraordinary things! He used a bunch of lowly fishermen to help win the world for Him when He first came, and He can use you now, whatever your character or your role in life, because it's not you doing it. It's Him in you, "Christ in you, the hope of glory, whom you preach" (Colossians 1:27-28).

One of the greatest deeds you can do for Him in this day and age is to preach the Gospel of His Kingdom and spread the good news of His love and salvation far and wide! With His power within you, you can have the power and conviction and boldness to be a witness wherever you are, to whoever you're with or around, and to love that soul into the Kingdom of Heaven, where he or she will be happy for eternity.

"The righteous are bold as a lion" (Proverbs 28:1). Be a bold witness, and "be not afraid of their faces" or their looks or their attitudes, because the Lord is with you (Jeremiah 1:8). If you ask for His help and His power to be such a witness, to share His Word with love and boldness and conviction, you will be doing great things for Him, and He will be proud of you! If you're a faithful witness in word or in deed... that's a great thing in His sight. And when you meet Him face to face one of these days, He'll say, "Well done, My good and faithful servant," and you'll have His eternal gratitude as well as souls in Heaven who will be eternally thankful to you for witnessing to them!

So "chase the lion" of any fears you have about witnessing, any worries you have about the responses of others, or any concerns you have about what others think of you—or any fears and worries whatsoever! Go down into that pit, even if it's the midst of winter and conditions aren't the greatest, and defeat that lion! Overcome any lion-size problems that are hindering you from getting out His message to the best of your ability, and spread His Word in every way you can, to whoever you can! Dare to be a bold witness for Him! Dare to stand out from the crowd and be different because of your love for Him, because you want others to have and experience that same love, and to enjoy that same eternal life you have, and to be happy both now and forever! You can do it, because you have the Lion of Judah!