For so many, this fall has begun with an unwelcome chill. From escalating wars in Israel and Ukraine, flooding in Pakistan and India, a major earthquake in Afghanistan, and wildfires in California, to major layoffs, church and school shootings, and an assassination that has rocked our national identity, frightening events are leaving many feeling paralyzed. This week’s Radical Stewardship™ blog addresses actions you can take to break through that fear and regain momentum in your life.

Overcoming the Lion’s Roar

Have you ever heard a lion roar? If not, check out this clip of Brutus and Titus, two lions in Chicago’s Brooklyn Zoo. A lion’s roar is so loud that it can be heard up to five miles away! Can you imagine how you would feel if you heard that sound in the wild? How your mind and body would react? It’s no wonder that Peter uses a lion’s roar to warn us about the paralyzing effects of fear. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.

A lion’s roar has both psychological and physical effects on its prey that can lead to a prey animal’s temporary immobilization in several ways:

• Startle Response: The sudden, loud, and deep roar of a lion is an immense shock to the nervous system of prey animals. This triggers an immediate “fight, flight, or freeze” response. For many prey animals, especially smaller ones or those caught off guard, the initial reaction might be to freeze in place, hoping to avoid detection while assessing the threat. This momentary paralysis can give the lion a critical advantage in closing the distance.
• Disorientation and Confusion: The sheer volume and low frequency of a lion’s roar can be disorienting. It can make it difficult for prey to pinpoint the exact location of the predator, leading to hesitation and an inability to decide on an immediate escape route.
• Physiological Impact: The infrasound components of a lion’s roar (frequencies below human hearing) reportedly can cause a sense of unease, fear, and even nausea in some animals. While not a direct “freeze,” this physiological discomfort can contribute to a state of being overwhelmed and less capable of immediate action.
• Communication of Dominance and Proximity: A roar signals the lion’s presence, its power, and its intent to hunt. This immediate and undeniable declaration can induce intense fear, leading some prey to literally be “paralyzed by fear.”

Just as the lion’s roar exploits the natural fear responses of its prey, our adversary uses fear to try to incapacitate and immobilize us:

• The “Roar” of Intimidation and Doubt: Our adversary doesn’t have a literal roar, but he uses strategies that mimic its effects. This can come in the form of overwhelming doubt, anxieties about the future, fear of failure, fear of judgment, fear of persecution, or fear of stepping out in faith. These “roars” are designed to be loud and disorienting, making it hard for us to hear the truth or discern God’s will.
• Inducing a “Freeze” Response: When confronted with these fears, we can experience a spiritual “freeze.” This might manifest as:
  • Procrastination: Delaying or avoiding actions that are aligned with our faith due to fear of inadequacy or negative outcomes.
  • Inaction: Being unwilling to step out of our comfort zone, share our faith, or pursue opportunities for spiritual growth because of fear of rejection or failure.
  • Spiritual Paralysis: Feeling overwhelmed by life’s challenges or temptations to the point where we stop praying, reading scripture, or engaging in spiritual disciplines.
  • Withdrawal: Retreating from community, service, or even from God Himself due to shame, guilt, or fear of not being good enough.
• Disorientation and Confusion: Our adversary thrives on confusion. By instilling fear, it can make it difficult to think clearly, trust God’s promises, or remember our spiritual authority. This disorientation can lead to poor decisions, wavering faith, and a feeling of being lost.
• False Sense of Proximity and Overwhelm: Just as a lion’s roar communicates its presence and power, our adversary uses fear to make his influence seem more pervasive and overwhelming than it truly is. This can lead us to believe we are constantly under attack or that our struggles are insurmountable, leading to despair and a feeling of helplessness.

In both scenarios, the aim of the fear-inducing roar is to incapacitate. The lion deploys fear to freeze and ultimately catch its prey. Our adversary deploys fear to prevent us from living fully in our faith, fulfilling our purpose, and experiencing the freedom and peace that comes from trusting that God’s power is greater than our fears. Recognizing these tactics is the first step in breaking free from the “freeze” and moving forward in courage and faith.

What We Can Learn About Lions From Another Big Animal: Elephants!

Did you know that there is no direct mention of elephants in the Bible? There are references to ivory, so we know that the people of Israel were aware of elephants, but the various scriptural writers didn’t record any direct experiences with elephants. Nevertheless, we can learn a lot about lions from our own knowledge of elephants.

Elephants are incredibly social and protective animals, especially when it comes to the vulnerable members of their herd. When a lion (or other predator) comes around, elephants employ several impressive defense strategies:

• Forming a Defensive Circle: This is perhaps the most well-known and effective tactic. Adult elephants will quickly form a tight circle or wall around the younger, weaker, and more vulnerable elephants, placing them in the center where they are safest. Their massive bodies, tusks, and sheer presence create an impenetrable barrier.
• Charging and Trumpeting: Elephants will display aggressive behavior to deter predators. This includes loud trumpeting, flapping their ears to appear larger, and making mock or real charges towards the lions. Their immense size and power are usually enough to scare off even a pride of lions.
• Coordinated Movement: The entire herd will move together, often with the vulnerable individuals kept tightly within the protective formation. They avoid isolating any member, as a lone elephant, especially a young or weak one, is much more susceptible to an attack.

The strong social bonds, immense size and power, and coordinated defense mechanisms of the elephant herd make it very difficult for lions to successfully attack an elephant, especially within a cohesive group.

Now, let’s look at the rest of that section in first Peter in the context of both lions and elephants:

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 5:8-11

In other words, we are instructed to resist the lion’s roar in faith and in community with one another (like elephants!). As we do, God will both strengthen and settle us.

Who is in your herd of elephants? Who do you have around you that you can band together with to form a protective circle of connected individuals who are committed to looking out for one another? Think of your family, your local church, your friends, and your peers. How can you broaden your circle? How can you strengthen it?

The Perfect Antidote to Fear

In addition to instructing us to resist fear through faith and community, God has also given us as a perfect antidote to counteract fear, and it’s wrapped up in a simple action: love. I John 4:18a tells us, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear.” This has meaning for us in both a theological and a practical sense. Theologically, we know that when we are made perfect by the love of Christ, we have nothing to fear. But practically, this verse also gives us an action that we can take to break out of the paralysis of fear.

When you are paralyzed by fear, you are looking inward, thinking about yourself and what is going to happen to you. John’s words suggest that we turn that lens around and direct our focus outward, away from ourselves and toward somebody else. How can we love somebody, right now? Who needs us? What is an action that we can take, right now, that isn’t about us at all, but that is 100% about loving up on somebody else?

I challenge you to try this. Think up somebody who needs love today, and take an action right this moment to give them some love, as a gift, with no expectation of anything in return. I’m willing to bet that you’ll be feeling a lot less fearful after you’ve done that. You’ll also have created momentum that will propel you to keep moving forward in the area where you were previously paralyzed by fear. Try it! And let me know how it goes in the comments below.

Wrapping It All Up

We know that we have an adversary who uses frightening events in the same way a lion uses its roar to paralyze us with fear, with the goal of keeping us from taking action to fulfill our purpose on earth. We can resist that fear through faith, in community with one another, and by taking action to love someone. So take action every day to strengthen your faith, to expand and strengthen your herd, and to love somebody. In this way, you’ll break through the paralysis of fear and create the momentum you need to move forward in your God-given calling.

If you’d like help breaking through fear that has you paralyzed in your own life, I encourage you to check out my coaching page or connect with me directly. I’d love to walk with you!