The Lyin’ King
There is a part in “The Lion King” movie where Simba is lost. His mind has forgotten who he was. He didn’t forget through amnesia. He knew all of the details of his life, but he believed the lies of an accuser who had convinced him that he was unworthy to live like his father. (The accuser was not the true Lion King, he was just a lyin' king.)
After some time, Rafiki came to seek this one who was lost. He came to show Simba who he really was. He came to remind the young lion who his father was.
This sounds like Jesus, who came to declare to us that God was, after all, our Father. In Christ, we see our true identity. He reminds us that we are made in God’s likeness and image. Jesus, like Rafiki, came to seek and save that which was lost. He is the Truth, and in the Truth our identity is remembered and we are restored, made free from the lies and slanderous accusations made against us. As we see it more clearly, as we humbly embrace the reality that we are God’s children and worthy of being loved, we become more immune to the voices that made us ashamed.
Simba’s father told him, “Remember who you are. You are my son.”
Then, something happened, something rose up from the inside of Simba and empowered him. The good news of the Father became the power that brought wholeness to Simba’s soul. The transformation was beautiful. Simba stepped into the life that he was created for. Despite his past failures and weaknesses, he knew that he belonged. Simba was saved! He was no longer lost!
1 Peter, chapter one, mentions the wonderful attributes of godliness, things such as goodness, patience, mercy, and love. He even says that we already have them in abundance. But he says that we can still live without experiencing them. We all can say that we have had times when patience seemed to be lacking. There were times when we weren’t very merciful or loving, but why?
We just forgot, that’s all.
“But if anyone lacks these things, he is blind… and forgetting his innocence – for his past sins have been washed away.” – I Peter 1:9 TPT
So, we might forget who we are, but in Isaiah 49, God says he will never forget. We are inscribed into His hand. It’s unchangeable! Even in trespasses and sins, our identity had not changed. Our value had never changed. Like the lost coin that was worth doing everything to find it, we were always loved, valuable, and precious, no matter how lost we may have been.
“See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” – 1 John 3:1 NLT
We hope you are celebrating your awakening to reality. You belong in the family of God. You have a place. You get to take up space here. You are worthy of love.
Have a great day!