Taking Responsibility – The Lion King Way

I love many of the classic Disney cartoons.  I always have.  Today, I want to share a message I learned from The Lion King about knowing who I am in Christ and taking responsibility.

Background (If you know the story, you can skip to the Lesson)

If you’re not familiar with the story, Simba is a fun-loving lion cub who is excited to rule the kingdom someday.  His father keeps trying to teach him about responsibility, but Simba just wants to have fun.  He is a bit conceited, and likes to press the boundaries, which gets him into trouble at times.  He has an uncle who wants the power and authority of being king, and doesn’t like knowing that he’ll have to answer to his nephew one day.  So, the uncle concocts a plan to kill the king and Simba.

Unfortunately, the king dies while saving Simba, and the uncle convinces Simba that it is all his fault.  He runs away (so the kingdom doesn’t get mad at him) and meets some care-free friends. The kingdom suffers while Simba is gone. Simba knows that he’s meant for more than living a “No Worries” lifestyle.  One day, he runs into his best friend as a child.  She was so happy to see him because the kingdom was told that he was dead. She was eventually able to convince him to return to the kingdom and take his place as king to restore order and peace.

Lessons

Believing Lies

When Simba’s dad dies, the evil uncle is able to convince Simba that it would be best for him to run away.  He tells him lies. 

“What have you done? If it weren’t for you, … What will ___ think?” 

Simba believes the lies of the enemy (without even knowing that his uncle was the enemy) and takes on the guilt, shame, condemnation, fear of others’ opinions. 

Have you ever done that? I know I have believed those lies at some point in time or another. He is so cunning and smooth and they sound so believable. 

It can really catch me off guard when the enemy uses someone close to me to reinforce those lies. Maybe a best friend attacks my character out of the blue or a family member makes a hurtful comment. Maybe someone close to me tells me that I’m no good at something that I enjoy doing. I’ve learned that just because something comes from someone I love, doesn’t mean that it is truth and I need to accept it as who I am.

Relinquishing Responsibility

While Simba is away, he finds friends who have run from their own situations. (It’s always easiest to relate to people in the same position as you are, isn’t it?) Their moto is “Hakuna Matata”, meaning, “No worries.” They are living a care-free, undisciplined life, while having fun all day long, not doing anything of importance.  Simba was enjoying himself, but at night, when it got quiet, he knew deep down that something was missing. He knew he wasn’t living up to his potential and he wasn’t doing what he was supposed to be doing with his life.

Have you ever had that hole in your heart? Had that feeling deep down that you were meant for more? Have you ever tried running from something? Did one of those lies we talked about earlier drive you away? Have you tried looking for other solutions to fill the void — alcohol, drugs, food, shopping?

Others suffer when you’re not fulfilling your purpose

While he was away, living his care-free life, the people in the kingdom suffered. The new leader was full of greed and pride.  He created disorder and the people were starving and abused. When Simba refused his position of responsibility, the whole kingdom suffered and darkness reigned.  

I have learned that if I am not disciplined and taking responsibility for who I am called to be, my whole family feels the disruption.  I am not as patient and joyful as usual. There is a feeling of unrest in everyone around me.  All my relationships feel some degree of tension because I know that I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

If you relinquish your responsibility, you are putting yourself in a position to be controlled and manipulated.  Control and manipulation creates anger. You can’t have peace, joy, and happiness when you are being controlled by someone else.  

It takes work

When he came back, he had to fight his uncle and face his fears of the people. He had to fight for his rightful position. After he faced hard situations, and took back his position of responsibility, systems and order were re-established. The people began to prosper again. There was peace, joy, and happiness throughout the land, and his people were provided for in abundance.

It’s ok to do hard things.  Sometimes we have to fight for what’s rightfully ours. Sometimes it’s facing our greatest fears. It takes work and it’s rarely ever easy. It doesn’t always go smoothly, especially if we’ve hurt people. Hurting people tend to hurt back and don’t always accept your return without a bit of friction. In the process, though, if we have the right heart, we learn that we are accepted and forgiven. 

Responsibility takes discipline. The more responsibility you have, the more disciplined you need to be. You have to face your fears more and push yourself. The more you need to identify your source of strength and draw on that strength. It’s not always in our own power.

If you take responsibility enough, you will look back and realize that you and your family have a greater sense of joy, peace, and happiness in this crazy, busy world, than you did previously. It gives you hope to keep pressing forward and motivates you to continue to stay disciplined. 

“You are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.”           

-Galatians 4:7

How about you?

I’d love to hear your victories in taking responsibility and being disciplined.  What rewards have you seen? In what ways have you had to be more disciplined? What fears have you had to face?