Joel Osteen - The Lion and the Lamb
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I want to talk to you today about the lion and the lamb. On the inside of each one of us is both. There’s a lion. It’s there to protect, to defend, to conquer. The lion is courageous, aggressive, and helps us accomplish our dreams. There’s also a lamb in us. It’s there to stay in peace, to overlook offenses, to not respond to every circumstance, and to let God fight our battles.
And we see this with Jesus. He was called the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. As the lion, he overturned the tables in the temple and drove out the people who were doing wrong. As the lion, he spoke strongly to the Pharisees, the religious leaders who had impure motives. He called them hypocrites and said they had dead men’s bones. He was also called the Lamb of God. As the lamb, he didn’t respond to his critics. When they brought him before Pilate with all these false accusations, the scripture says he answered them not a word. He didn’t defend himself.
On the way to the cross, the soldiers and others mocked him and made fun of him. «Hey, if you’re so great, if you’re really the king, why don’t you come down and save yourself?» He said, «I could have called ten thousand angels to rescue me,» but he didn’t do it. He had a purpose to fulfill. He knew it was all a part of God’s plan.
It’s not are you a lion or are you a lamb; you’re both. The key is knowing which one is supposed to come out. Ecclesiastes says there is a time and season for every person and for every purpose. There is a time for war and a time for peace, a time to fight and a time to hold back. You won’t reach your destiny being all lion, fighting all the time, or being all lamb, retreating all the time.
Some people are good at being the lion. You look at them wrong, and they’ll roar. They love arguing, getting even, and speaking their minds. They’re easily offended, always trying to pay people back. If someone cuts them off in traffic, they’re trying to catch them. They’ll drive five miles past their exit 'cause they want to show them.
Here’s something important: you’re not supposed to fight every battle. Many of the things that come against us are simply distractions. It’s the enemy trying to waste your time, your energy, and your emotions, getting you engaged in conflict that doesn’t matter. When someone does us wrong and says hurtful things, that lion naturally comes out. «Here I am, let me go to work, I’m ready to roar!»
You have to ask yourself, if you win that battle, what’s it going to accomplish? Is it between you and your destiny? Is it going to move you forward, or is it just going to feed your ego and make you feel good 'cause you proved to them who you are? That’s a distraction. Your time is too valuable and your assignment too important to get sidetracked fighting battles that don’t matter. You’re not just a lion; there’s a lamb in you.
The lamb stays in peace. The lamb is not annoyed by the negative chatter. The lamb knows how to walk away from conflict. And in the life of Jesus, he was the lamb many more times than he was the lion. I wonder if the reason we get stressed and frustrated, and can’t seem to make progress, is we’re letting the lion dominate. We’re always trying to defend, prove, and control. «I got to convince this person to like me, show them that I’m okay.»
But some people, no matter what you do, are not going to be for you. If you do convince them, two more will come along that don’t like you. It’s a trap where you always have to live in this fight mode. «Look what they said! My boss left me out and I got caught in traffic again!» Everything’s a fight. Do yourself a favor. Let the lamb come out. Let God fight your battles.
«Well, Joel, they’re talking about me. They’re making me look bad.» Can I encourage you? God can vindicate you better than you can vindicate yourself. If you stay in peace, God said He will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies. He will promote you in front of the people who are trying to push you down. And yes, we need the lion. There are times we need to fight, but most of the things that come against us are petty little things that seem big to us. They misunderstand me. They said things that weren’t true. This is not fair. I know it’s hurtful. None of us like it, but it’s not going to keep you from your purpose.
When Jesus hung on the cross and refused to have the angels come rescue Him, He was saying, in effect, to reach your destiny, you’re going to have to put up with some things. You’re going to have to be the bigger person and overlook some insults, not defend yourself every time, not have to have the last word, not spend your energy roaring, trying to straighten people out. You’re going to have to let that lamb come out and let God fight your battles. Put your reputation in His hands. You have to trust the purpose of God for your life, that what He’s doing doesn’t need you to correct everything along the way, straighten every person out, fix this one over here, control that one over there. Your lion is going to have a nervous breakdown. He told me to tell you to give Him a day off.
There’s a lamb in you that’s ready to rise up. The lamb is a place of peace. The lamb is knowing that God is your vindicator, that nothing can stop what He has purposed for your life. When you’re in peace, you’re in a position of power. It seems like being loud, forceful, and aggressive is power, but sometimes that’s showing weakness. We’re trying to roar to hide our insecurity. Why don’t you be still, and you’ll know that He is God? And it’s interesting, out of all the animals that God could have compared us to, there’s the lion and the lamb.
The lamb is one of the most peaceful, calm, unbothered animals you could find. You’ve never seen a nervous lamb, an upset lamb, or a lamb arguing and fighting. Lambs just go out and graze in the pastures, enjoying the day. One reason is because they know they have a shepherd. They’re confident that someone is watching over them, keeping the wild animals away, providing for them, leading them to food and water so they stay in peace. And sometimes we’re trying to make it all happen on our own. We have to find the food, so to speak, the opportunity, and kick the door open. We have to convince these people to like us and keep the harm away.
Here’s what we’re missing: it’s not just up to us; we have a shepherd. We have a defender, a provider, a vindicator, a way maker, a healer, a deliverer. But if you live in fight mode, thinking the lion always has to rise up, you won’t be able to say with David, «The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.» One translation says, «I have everything I need.» It’s a powerful way to live, knowing that as a lamb, we have a shepherd watching over us. We don’t have to connive, manipulate, or defend. We can live in peace, knowing that the good shepherd is in control of our lives.
Victoria and I were in Colorado a while back, riding four-wheelers. We were out in the National Forest, and it was very beautiful. We came around this corner, and there were hundreds of sheep on the path. There wasn’t any way for us to get around. We stopped our four-wheelers and sat there for a few minutes, but they never budged. I decided I was going to try to scare them away. I drove right up to them, maybe 20 feet away, and I put the machine in neutral and revved the engine as loud as I could. As it went full throttle, it felt like the ground was shaking. I was watching so closely. You know, not one sheep ever turned and looked; not one paid any attention. They acted like I wasn’t even there. I learned a lesson that day: sheep are stubborn. Sheep are not going to lose their peace. We need to take a lesson from them and be more stubborn when it comes to giving away our peace.
Next time someone revs their engine at you, so to speak, and tries to get you upset or offended, just ignore it and carry on. If you let them upset you, what they said ruins your day and the delay sours your morning. You’re giving away your power. You need your joy and your peace to have a productive day. No one can take that from you; you have to give it away. You’re in control of your peace. You can’t control what other people do, what they say, or how they treat you, but you can control how you respond. I know sometimes we do have to confront, and the lion needs to roar, but most of the time the lamb needs to come out. If that battle is not between you and your destiny, ignore it and move on.
This is what David did as a teenager. He was working in the shepherd’s fields when his father asked him to take lunch to his brothers. They were in the army in another city. When his older brother Eliab saw David, he said in front of all the soldiers, «What are you doing here, David? And what did you do with those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of?» He tried to belittle David and make him feel small. Here, David had done a good deed and traveled all day. He could have been offended. I’m sure the lion rose up in his emotions and said, «Let him have it!» but he wouldn’t do it. The scripture says David turned and walked away. He had to calm the lion down and let the lamb rise up.
To be the lamb, you have to swallow your pride. You can’t let your ego get the best of you. You have to rule your spirit and rule your emotions. A lot of times we want to rule other people, control how we’re treated, and control what they say, their opinions. We can’t control those things. What you can control is your own spirit. You get to choose the lion or the lamb. Your emotions will choose the lion. They’ll want to engage, pay back, defend-that’s not always the right choice. If you’re the lion all the time, you’ll get distracted fighting battles that don’t matter. What’s significant is that a few minutes later, David heard Goliath taunting the Israelites. He came out on the side of the mountain and shouted all these threats at the soldiers. They all ran and hid-not David. The lion rose up. He said, «Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?»
Had David not walked away from Eliab, he would have never seen Goliath. Had he engaged in a battle that didn’t matter, let that petty comment get him uptight and off track, he would have missed the real battle he was supposed to fight. Don’t spend your time fighting petty things. The enemy will try to bait you into conflict, trick you into being offended, thinking, «I need to pay them back! They’re messing with the wrong person!» Do like David: turn and walk away. There are enough real battles that you need to fight. There are Goliaths God has put in all of our paths-giants we’re going to defeat that will take us to a new level. But if you’re fighting the petty things, you’ll never get to Goliath.
David asked, «What is the reward for defeating this giant? What is the prize for taking him out?» David was smart. He wasn’t going to fight him for no reason. They said whoever defeats Goliath will get King Saul’s daughter in marriage, and he and his family won’t have to pay taxes anymore. Well, David was a shepherd. He came from a low-income family that looked like they would always struggle. This was an opportunity to change his family line-a destiny moment. With this one victory, he could go from an ordinary citizen to royalty. There were great spoils. As he was contemplating all this, he said at one point, «Is there not a cause?» He was saying, «I have a good reason to fight this battle. Number one, Goliath is coming against the Lord God of Israel.»
That’s the main thing. I’m going to fight for my faith. And number two, there’s a great reward, not just for David, but for his family. One way you know it’s a battle you’re supposed to fight is when it’s not just about you, but it’s making the world a better place. It’s making your family better. You’re fighting for justice, for the oppressed, for the downtrodden. David fighting Eliab-there were no spoils. That would have just been for David’s ego to try to prove to Eliab who he was. You don’t have anything to prove. Why are you fighting battles trying to convince someone to like you? You don’t need that. It’s a distraction. David went out to face Goliath. He looked him in the eyes and said, «Goliath, this day I will defeat you and feed your head to the birds of the air.»
That lion rose up. He went out with courage to defend the people of Israel, to stand up for Jehovah. He slung that rock and knocked Goliath to the ground, unconscious. There are times the lion has to roar. You have to be strong, courageous, and go after what God put in your heart. It’s not being a lamb all the time or being a lion all the time; it’s knowing the seasons. Pay attention to what you’re giving your energy to. Most of the time, we need to live as the lamb. Ignore the negative comments, overlook the offenses, forgive the driver that cut you off. You’re never going to see them again. Why are you letting that ruin your day?
I was in the Costco parking lot on a Saturday not long ago, and there were four times as many cars as there were spaces. I dropped Victoria off, and I was going to park and wait in the car. After driving around forever, I finally saw this lady coming out with her kids and starting to get in her car. She had 27 carts, and I knew it was going to take two hours to unload, but I was just happy to get that spot. She got everything unloaded and took the carts back one by one. I found that one person who puts everything back. She finally backed out, and I was about to pull in when here came this jerk-I mean this other person. I was blocked by her car for a second. She darted in from the wrong direction and took the spot I had been waiting for for three weeks.
It’s funny how the lamb can go into hiding. All I felt was the lion saying, «Honk, shake your fist, let them know you.» Sometimes it’s just a test. Can you keep the lion down in the petty things of life? Can you rule your spirit and control your emotions when other people do you wrong? I thought to myself, I’ll give you my parking space, but I’m not going to give you my peace. I’m going to stay calm; I’m going to overlook it. Life is too short to let little things upset us. If you pass these small tests-the parking lot, the neighbor that offends, the co-worker that leaves you out-then you’ll get to your Goliaths, the battles that really matter, the ones where God will empower you to bring down a giant and step up to a new level of your destiny.
When we were trying to acquire this place, the former Compaq Center, our main competitor was the company that owned all the buildings around here-11 high-rises. It was David versus Goliath. I had just been the pastor for three years, and I was young and new to all this. I should have been intimidated; I thought, «There’s no way, they' re so much bigger.» But that lion rose up on the inside. I don’t like conflict; I’m more easygoing. However, there was a fire in my spirit. I knew this was supposed to be ours. At one point, the company offered us a large sum to just go away-just go build your own building somewhere else. It didn’t faze me; it never entered my mind.
There is a lion in you to accomplish your assignment, a supernatural power to outlast opposition, a favor to overcome a challenge. They tried to intimidate, but that lion kept rising up, roaring back. You know it’s a battle you’re supposed to fight when there are great spoils. This wasn’t petty; this was purpose. This was a place for us to give hope to the world, to lift the fallen, and to help people become who they were created to be. While we were in that almost two-year battle, one of the main business leaders here in town said in public, «It’ll be a cold day in hell before Lakewood gets the Compaq Center.»
The person who told me thought that I’d be upset and offended. This man was so influential that it may have set us back. The truth is, that never bothered me; I never paid it any attention. I knew that man doesn’t control our destiny; he can’t stop the purposes of God. You know what? He was a distraction. I didn’t have time to waste responding to what he said. His opinion didn’t make us or break us. The lion rose up; ignore it, Joel. Overlook it, move on. What am I saying? You can have both the lion and the lamb working at the same time. The lion was fighting for the Compaq Center; we would not let go of what God promised.
The lamb was ignoring the naysayers, not giving energy to the doubters, staying in peace despite the critics. A mark of maturity is knowing when the lamb needs to come out and when the lion needs to arise. Both are necessary for your destiny. The mistake we can make is letting the lion come out for petty things-things that are not impacting your purpose. It’s aggravations, delays, offenses. You can’t get rid of all that. Jesus said, «Stop allowing yourself to get upset.» Don’t go the next 20 years letting the same things frustrate you: the same co-worker getting on your nerves, the same traffic stressing you out. Change your approach. There’s a lamb in you. If you handle it the right way, you can stay in peace.
I like to ride my bike, and there’s this 10-mile path that I take that goes by the bayou and a bunch of woods. At times, I’ll come into these large patches of gnats-thousands and thousands. I’ve learned to always wear glasses. Even if I’m riding at dusk and I don’t have my sunglasses on, I’ll wear a clear pair because the gnats will get in your eyes. They’re so small you can’t see them to avoid them. All of a sudden, you’re in this big patch.
There have been times when I didn’t have my glasses, and they got in my contacts. I couldn’t see and had to pull over. I’ve learned that you have to keep your mouth closed or you’ll swallow the gnats if you’re talking or breathing out of your mouth. You know they’ll get inside and cause irritation; you start coughing. I thought about how it’s the same principle in life. We all have to deal with gnats-little things that can bother, irritate, or cause us to get offended. You can’t avoid it; it’s just part of life.
Number one: If you don’t keep your glasses on, so to speak, your vision will get distorted. You lose your focus and get distracted. That little gnat got in my eye; I had to get off my bike and try to clean my contact out in the middle of nowhere. Little offenses, little irritations can cloud your vision and keep you from enjoying the day when the gnats come.
Number two: Keep your mouth closed. «Well, Joel, they were rude to me.» No offense; they’re a gnat. Just flip it off. Don’t respond. Don’t complain. I said flip it off-not flip them off. Flip it off. Don’t go tell three friends what they did. Zip it up and keep going. You can’t get away from all the gnats. Some seasons are worse than others, but they don’t have to sour your day when you know how to deal with it.
The lamb comes out, not the lion. And you ignore it, overlook it, and let God fight those battles. One reason David was a champion is that he understood the lion and the lamb. He knew which one was needed for each season. He didn’t try to be all lion, treating everyone like a Goliath, or all lamb, living passively and complacently. No wonder if you’re roaring when you should be resting. You’re fighting when you should be forgiving, troubled when you should be trusting. God didn’t create us to live in fight mode. There’s a lamb inside you. When you let that lamb come out, you’ll not only have more peace, but God will fight for you. He’ll make things happen that you couldn’t make happen.
David eventually went to the palace to work for King Saul. He was his armor-bearer. He would also play the harp for Saul when he was depressed. One day, while he was playing, Saul threw a spear and tried to kill David. He, too, was jealous. Everyone knew this young man who had defeated Goliath. Whenever God starts to promote you, you have to pass the test of dealing with jealous people. Not everyone will celebrate you; some will get critical, trying to push you down and discredit you. It’s tempting to let the lion come out-argue, prove, or try to pay them back. That’s not a time for the lion; that’s a time for the lamb.
Stay on the high road. Overlook the offense. Trying to change their mind is a distraction. Let it go and move on. When Saul threw that spear, David ducked, and it missed him. Well, David could have picked it up and taken care of Saul; he had a good reason. This was self-defense. David was powerful. He had killed a bear with his own hands. But David knew Saul was anointed as king; he wouldn’t touch God’s anointed. Like with his brother, David walked away. He passed the test. Saul chased him all through the desert, but David wouldn’t take revenge; he wouldn’t harm Saul.
Later, Saul was killed in a battle, and David became the king. But if David had taken matters into his own hands and tried to vindicate himself, he would have never fulfilled his purpose. There’s a time for the lion and a time for the lamb; both are necessary. Maybe today you’ll be in the lion-stressed, frustrated. The reason it’s not changing is this is the time for the lamb-to stay in peace and to let God fight the battle. Ask yourself: What are the spoils if I win? What am I going to gain? If it’s just to prove that they were wrong, it doesn’t move you toward your destiny. That’s not worth fighting. That’s a distraction.
Be selective in how you spend your time and energy. The enemy would love for us to go through life frustrated, mad at our neighbors, and stressed over traffic, letting petty things keep us from our purpose. Learn to be the lamb, to overlook, to ignore, to rise above. Then, when the Goliath shows up-obstacles that are blocking your purpose and dreams God put in you, where you know there’s a cause-let the lion rise up. Rise up in courage and faith, in power, and pursue what God put in your heart. Take new ground for your family and for the kingdom. My prayer is that you will know the times and seasons for both the lion and the lamb. As you listen to that still, small voice, I believe and declare, like David, you’re going to have the favor to defeat giants, supernatural breakthroughs, and the grace to ignore the Sauls, to stay in peace, to outlast opposition, to reach the fullness of your destiny in Jesus' name. And if you receive it, can you say amen?