Sean's book corner

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day comes out today. It was written by Mark Batterson, who serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington , DC.

Here's a basic description from the author:
Your greatest regret at the end of your life will be the lions you didn't chase. You will regret the risks not taken, the opportunities not seized, and the dreams not pursued. Stopping running away from what scares you most and start chasing the God-ordained opportunities that cross your path.

In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day is inspired by one of the most obscure yet courageous acts recorded in Scripture (II Samuel 23:20-21): Benaiah chased a lion down into a pit. Then, despite the snow and slippery ground, he caught the lion and killed it.

Unleash the lion chaser within!

I've only read the first chapter, but I love the idea of the book.

I remember reading years ago about the three biggest regrets of folks over the age of 80. One of the top three was that they wished they'd taken more risks. That's what this book is about....and more.
"God is in the resume-building business. He is always using past experiences to prepare us for future opportunities." The scary thing for me is having to go through those experiences.

I love feeling healthy, but I don't want to go through the work. I love gaining insight into a situation, but I hate having to live through the rough times that end up giving me the insight.
Consequently, I spend a lot of energy avoiding situations that, in the long run, would probably serve to shape who I am in a much more significant way than....doing all the stuff I do to try and grow.

The part of chapter one that I've highlighted had to do with "sins omission". He makes the point that we're far more concerned with not doing bad things (sins of commission) than we are about regretting the things we should have done. He calls it "Holiness by subtraction". It's as though we can lead the lives that God has for us simply by not doing bad things.

That's half the battle....maybe.

One of my favorite books is God's Smuggler - and in it the author makes the statement, "I'm not against anyone or anything, I'm for Jesus" He's not definining himself by what he's against. He doesn't want to live his life in protest lines...

Batterson is making a similar point - We shouldn't define ourselves by what we don't do.

We should be risk takers, knowing that the risks we take will shape us in a way that playing it safe never would or could. We should define ourselves as Lion chasers.