The Roar WithinSample

Day One: The Roar Within

One of the scariest nights I have ever spent was in a small fenced-in camp in Balule, South Africa, on the southern banks of the Olifants River in Kruger National Park. At night you can hear whole prides of lions roar—it’s awesome.

While I was finishing the last few bites of my meal, something caused me to pause and squint past the glow of the fire into the shadows. I sensed something was locked onto me before I had visual recognition. The eerie shape of a large spotted hyena materialized. 

The jaws of a hyena can crush the pelvis of a buffalo in one bite. Knowing I was its intended victim was no small thing. Within moments, I was engaged in a game of dominance, with the hyena moving in and out of the shadows, when suddenly the hyena’s body language changed from dominance to submission as it cowered and disappeared into the dark. I thought I’d won our game of “king of the hill” until my ears picked up on the true cause of its turning. In the distance, but moving closer, I heard the unmistakable sound of a lion pride roaring, claiming its territory.

A male lion is extremely protective of his home and family; he uses his roar to warn off anything that might threaten them. When the whole pride sounds off, every living creature stops what it’s doing. They all know who the real king of the African plains is. This king is not a thief; he rules the plains, protects his pride, and takes what is his.

A lion’s roar isn’t something it earns from its father or from how many kills it achieves. That roar is something a lion is born with. It’s imputed. The roar is given to the lion by the One who created it. Our time together is about helping you find your roar, your one true voice, the real you God placed in you the moment you trusted Jesus—the you that is Christ in you. Not the flesh and bones walking around afraid, insecure, and full of worry and doubt, but the you from whom, when you live from that place, the enemy tucks tail and runs.

We are embarking on a journey—a safari to help men answer the Big Question: Am I enough? When you understand who you really are in Christ, you live life to the full, the way that God intended.

Are you ready to discover and release the roar within? Is there a fear within that also rises when you answer that question?