Recently I met with a friend in trouble, his life at a crossroads. His dysfunctional family history, years of addictive behavior and destructive choices had collided like the proverbial ‘train wreck,’ exposing him and his family to potential ruin.

As I listened to his story, I was reminded of Simba in The Lion King – when he was so far away from his rightful place, role and destiny.

Simba, the prince and heir to his father’s throne, had run away from his true and kingly calling for reasons many of us can relate to.

Personal loss, tragedy, guilt, shame, confusion and condemnation. Each created and reinforced by his evil uncle Scar – the fallen and depraved character who killed his father and drove him into exile.

Similar forces can torment us in the same way.

So we run into the jungle (wherever that is for us) to escape, only to become entangled with frivolous, foolish or destructive pursuits that waste our lives.

As a result, the powers of Hell encroach upon our lands and into our families and communities, marking as their territory the very places where we’re supposed to be pushing back the darkness, liberating captives and ministering peace, justice and mercy.

Simba’s turnaround began when he looked at his reflection and heard his father’s heavenly voice rumbling, “Remember who you are!

I shared this scene (and its echo of Jesus’ baptism) with my friend and reminded him of his high and noble calling in Christ – of ‘who he is’ thanks to God’s Spirit of adoption.

This stirred my friend’s spirit, ignited his imagination and revived his hope towards his future. But it begged the question, How do we access this reality in our everyday lives?

We talked and prayed and left with a few Lion King lessons – and a promise to keep in touch and keep applying them:

1.) Stop and look at your reflection. Who are you? Where are you? Where are you supposed to be? Who are you called to be? Pause long enough to hear God’s answer. Allow his Spirit to cut through all the noise and clutter to affirm your true identity. Remember who you are!

2.) Accept God’s forgiveness, forgive yourself and forgive others. Easier said than done, but it’s the only way to ‘get over it’ and keep moving toward your true calling! Forgiveness is a must in God’s kingdom, both in receiving and extending it. Jesus said so in Matt 6:14-15. We can’t be the generous and noble people we’re called to be in Christ, without it. So let it flow…

3.) Embrace your royal calling. Accept it by faith – preferably child-like faith that isn’t so quick to dismiss the miraculous or argue against the amazing. Claim it with conviction. Speak it out loud. Recite scriptures like John 1:12, “But as many as received Him, He gave the right to become children of God” or I John 3:1, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God – and that is what we are!” Meditate on Romans 8:15-16, Ephesians 1:5 and Galatians 4:6. Declare it with boldness, act like it’s fact and stay on track!

Regardless of your past, you’re called to take your rightful place and assume your high calling in Christ; to shine God’s brilliant light into every place you tread, onto every person you meet. Let’s pray:

Thank you, Heavenly Father for calling us into your royal kingdom as adopted sons and daughters, through Christ. How awesome that is! Let your Spirit boost our confidence in that calling and empower us to live it out boldly each day. Let your kingdom come and your will be done in us and through us we pray, in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Got any related thoughts or experiences?  Please comment at bottom of page.

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