Thursday, November 17, 2016

Chase the Lion - Mark Batterson

Chase the Lion by Mark Batterson is based on the Old Testament story in 2 Samuel 23 about a warrior in the army of King David named Benaiah. Those who read Batterson's 2006 best seller are familiar with Benaiah---who chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day—and then killed it.

But there is more that is known of Benaiah, and a bigger lesson to be learned from his action with the lion. Most people would run from a lion, but Benaiah chased it. He overcame his fear and went after the personification of it.

This is what Batterson is saying in his sequel to In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day. Benaiah chased his fear, faced his fear, and used it as an opportunity to move forward. For Benaiah, becoming King David’s bodyguard and eventually the Commander-in-Chief of Israel’s army under David's son, King Solomon. Batterson says that your dreams should be so big they scare you. He says that 'Chase the Lion' is not just a catch phrase, but a radical approach to life. The fear of failure prevents one from seizing opportunity by the mane and conquering all fear.  You cannot succeed if you are afraid of failure, but you have to accept that you may fail several times.

Do I agree? Yes and no...but my opinion does not really matter for a book review. I know many people who have huge dreams that may feel overwhelming. For those, this book can be a huge inspiration to never give up "chasing the lion" until ultimate success. For others, like myself, there are no grandiose dreams and we are quite content. I do, however, love to cheer on others, and I recommend this book. Not only is it great for those who feel God has called them to greater things, but I enjoyed reading it and felt inspired. Even the smaller dreams and dreamers need encouragement. I admit that I did prefer 'In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day' but 'Chase The Lion' did engage my attention and was well-written.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from Waterbrook-Multnomah "Blogging For Books" program at no cost to myself. However, I was not required to write a positive review.



Mark Batterson Social Corner:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram


 

No comments: