The Roar WithinEsimerkki

Day Two:  The Big Question

Men ask the really deep questions when they are alone. Why am I here? Who am I really? What is my purpose in this life? Will I make a difference? There’s an old Russian proverb: “If you chase two rabbits, you will not catch either one.” When I heard this, it was like a punch in the gut, because that was me for many years. I’d chased so many rabbits—all of them good things—but I was almost no further along in getting my questions answered than when I’d begun chasing them many years before. 

Why? Because I had never been able to identify that one thing. I’d been living my life for the opinions of others. I found the influential words of author John Eldredge pursuing me: “Ask yourself what makes you come alive.”

What was it that made me come alive like a lion on the prowl? I discovered it was fighting for the hearts of men and writing about the adventures God had planned for me to draw men to Himself! I knew, because it roared inside me so loudly that I couldn’t not do it. I was made to be His warrior poet!

But almost as quickly as I heard the roar of God telling me who I truly was at my core and what I was meant to do, I learned the enemy wanted that roar—that purpose—silenced. He knew that if I ever truly lived out of that place where God made me fully alive, I would be dangerous. The same is true for you. Just as God had a plan for me and for you before we were born, the enemy had a plan to keep us from understanding our true identities.

As a big-game hunter, I have found myself in some pretty hairy situations on numerous occasions. When in the wilds, you have to remember that you are in another’s territory. You are constantly measuring each step, listening, smelling, feeling the wind’s direction on your face, and watching for any movement. It’s imperative to pay close attention at all times, as a lapse in any of those areas can alert game to your presence, causing them to either flee from you or try to eat you for lunch.

Whether you realize it or not, everyday life is the same.

What is that one thing that you just can’t not do—the one thing that makes you feel truly alive? Give yourself permission and time to answer this question honestly this week.