Sometimes You Have to Draw a Lion

It was a Friday. Another end of a week that was filled with ups and downs. I have been making slow but steady progress over anxiety and fear by examining my thoughts, weeding out the lies that I’ve believed my whole life, and replanting my mind with truth from God’s Word. On that Friday, as I looked back over the week, I contemplated the typical pattern of my days. I would start strong, full of faith, encouraged by my time in God’s Word, listening to, and talking to Him in prayer. But there was still quite a bit of time during the day where fearful thoughts would creep in, and instead of standing strong, I would begin to feel discouraged and sorry for myself. The same old lies would start pouring in - telling me that my efforts weren’t enough, that this “weeding out process” was taking way too long. It shouldn’t be this hard. On and on my thoughts would spiral until I would once again reach the helpless conclusion that “It was just too hard.”

And that last bit, about it all being “too hard”. That is typically when I realize I’ve been spiraling down the slippery slope of the enemy’s lies. God has shown me time and time again that it is NOT too hard. He’s replaced my anxiety with His peace that passes understanding every single time. Every. Single. Time. Why was I consistently retreating into victim mode, listening to lies and cowering in a corner? I needed to gather up some courage, draw a line in the sand, and tell the enemy, NO MORE. YOU ARE DEFEATED.

You see, I know that Satan likes to masquerade as a lion, looking for Jesus followers to destroy, but I also know that the only power Satan has over me is the power I give back to him. That is a sobering realization. I give him back power when I take my eyes off of Jesus and start looking at my circumstances. I give him back power when those familiar feelings of fear come, and I choose to cower again instead of standing against him in truth. I could see the pattern clearly, and I knew it was time in my learning process for God to teach me about courage. 

So I began to think about lions, specifically choosing to think about Jesus, who is called “the Lion of Judah” in the Bible. Then I remembered the lion, Aslan, from C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first book in The Chronicles of Narnia, a precious children’s book series that tells the Gospel story in an enchanting, magical way. I could feel my courage rise as I began to picture myself riding on the back of Jesus, the Lion of Judah, just like Lucy would ride on the back of Aslan, who represented Jesus in Lewis’ Chronicles. 

And then I read this scripture:

Isaiah 1:10

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand".

That’s when I knew that I had to draw a lion. A fierce, safe, strong lion to remind me of my identity as a protected and victorious child of God. It is God’s strength and presence I need to cling to as I ride through this wonderful, new life. Drawing a line, or a “lion” in my case, against fear is my way of demonstrating the work God continues to do in my heart, my mind, my life.

I hope it gives you courage as well. 

Sometime You Have To Draw A Lion - colored pencil on Canson black drawing paper - by Julia McFarland