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The Hungry Lion

 

Early in my career, as I was struggling to both build up my clientele and provide food for my family, someone tried to encourage me by saying, “remember, the hungry lion hunts best.” At the time, that made sense to me. And it probably even provided some much-needed reassurance.

But I have since come to think differently. I was a starving lion, and I learned a few things from the experience. Hungry lions get fatigued. They become desperate. They cut corners. They make unforced errors.

But fed lions have their own issues. Their satiety can turn into selfishness. They get comfortable and then complacent. These lions do not hunt well either.

I believe the lion who hunts best is not the hungry lion nor the satisfied lion, but rather the lion who hunts not for himself and his own hunger, but for the pride of lions around him. His drive is not his own need for nourishment; it is the hunger of those around him that motivates him.

Our world is a hurting and hungry place. Not just for physical food, although that may sometimes be the case, but hungry for many other forms of sustenance. It is hungry for love. For belonging. For direction and leadership. For support. For significance. Our world is hungry for hope.

If you are blessed enough to be fed, to be comfortable, and to have your needs met, please, stay hungry. Not for you, but for those around you who are starving for what you can provide. The world is a hungry place, let’s go hunt! 

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