As I finish my study of the book, “Chase the Lion,” here are some final points I would like to share.
Don’t seek opportunity; seek God, and opportunity will seek you. This is not suggesting that we shouldn’t keep our eyes open or put our best foot forward. And if opportunity knocks, we should answer it. What the author is saying is that the best path to our dreams doesn’t involve seeking a position of leadership; it’s posturing ourselves as servants. He also is making a point that all dreamers have to pay their dues, and if they don’t, then someday they will “owe back taxes for the shortcuts they took…success will be short lived.” The takeaway here is to not be in such a hurry to begin the next chapter of our life that we fail to learn the lessons the current chapter is trying to teach us. Great advice for us all!
One of the biggest mistakes we make is thinking in terms of one generation. In this section of the book, the author made the point that it’s not only shortsighted, but selfish to think that what God does for us is just for us. It is, but it isn’t. It’s also for the third and fourth generations. We think right here, right now. God is thinking nations and generations. The author writes that “the key to dreaming big is thinking long. And the bigger the dream, the longer the timeline. If you’re thinking in terms of eternity, you should have some dreams that can’t be accomplished in your lifetime.” He then asks a very pointed question: “What are you doing today that will make a difference one hundred years from now?” Wow!
Every generation must steward what’s been entrusted to them. It all starts with honoring the generation that has gone before us by learning everything we can from them. But that’s only half the equation when it comes to passing along a generational blessing. It continues by empowering the generation that comes after us. That’s how the baton of blessing is passed to the third and fourth generation. And that is what the psalmist advocated in Psalm 78: “So the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.”
Every dream, no matter how big, starts out as a seed. In this section, the author made yet another excellent point when he stated “like a seed, a dream often goes underground for a season. That’s when we get discouraged because we don’t see any physical evidence of the dream’s progress. But it has to take root before it can bear fruit.” This makes me think immediately about Kris Seale and Jon Smith, and their dream for the AYSA Sports Complex…which has now taken root and soon will begin to bear fruit. Cool!
As I wrap up the book “Chase the Lion” by Mark Batterson, I am reminded to zoom out and see the big picture. It has reminded me that my life will soon be past and only what I have done for Christ will last. As the author stated, “don’t worry about the things that have zero bearing on eternity!” My only regret at the end of the day should be the time, talent, and treasure I didn’t give back to God.