Pardon the Mess

May 27, 2020

Ep. 3.24 : Chasing the Lion with Mark Batterson

Mark Batterson is with us today on Pardon the Mess, speaking about reframing our biggest obstacles. By reframing obstacles as God-ordained opportunities, we allow him to do his work in us. We allow God to ensure we give him the glory as having done something bigger than we could imagine doing ourselves.

In a time when COVID-19 has thrown a complete wrench in all the things we call normal and predictable, today’s podcast is a good reminder that the size of our problems are far outweighed by the size of our God.

Mark’s book, In a Pit With a Lion On a Snowy Day, is one of those books that feels like it was written just for me in this season. One of my favorite quotes from the book (and there’s a lot) is: “God is in the business of strategically positioning us in the right place at the right time. But here’s the catch: The right place often seems like the wrong place, and the right time often seems like the wrong time.”

For many of us, this season has been a forced slow down. It has been a time when God has shed light on places that need re-prioritizing and refocusing. Maybe you’re feeling called to something new. Maybe you need a reminder to not let what you can’t do keep you from accomplishing what you can do. Or maybe you’re realizing that your view of God seems smaller, the more you focus on the size of your obstacles.

Whatever it is you’re praying for these days, I hope you walk away from this conversation encouraged to chase the lions in your life.

Oh, and here is one quick spoiler alert: my favorite part of our conversation happens at the very end (don’t skip out early). Mark reminds us that few people will have platforms that influence thousands of people. However, our greatest success is often when those who know us best respect us the most. As parents, let’s chase the lion of loving our family well and being the parents God has called us to be.