You Are More Than What You Have Become: Lessons From Mufasa

Suppose you were born anytime in the mid or late 1990s. In that case, it’s not likely that you grew up without watching the famous animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation titled “The Lion King”.

Last December, on my way home for the Christmas holidays, I scrolled through the array of movies and cartoons in the movie player on board my Qatar Airways flight. I was amazed to see a remake of The Lion King, and I began to watch it excitedly. It still amazes me that I could remember to a great precision many of the words, statements, and songs that were spoken or sung in that film- doubtless a result of watching it repeatedly all through my toddler years.

Although I’ve watched that animation numerous times, there is a scene that never ceases to send chills through my spine. It is the scene where the runaway king (Simba) entered into a sort of ‘trance’ in which he communicated with his late father (Mufasa) from the realm of the dead. This communication was occasioned by Rafiki (the priest of the animal kingdom).

At this point, I’d love to make it clear that the Bible does not support communication with the dead. As Christians, we do not believe in receiving instructions from late relatives. That’s one aspect of the animation that should not be taken as an example. My emphasis in this article, however, are the words that Mufasa spoke to Simba – words that turned his life around, helped him overcome his fears, and go back to challenge his evil uncle Scar, who had taken over the Pride Rock after killing his brother Mufasa and manipulating his nephew and legitimate heir to the throne (Simba) to run away from home.

Something about Mufasa’s fatherly and baritone voice reminded me of God. In my mind, if God were to speak with a human voice, His voice would not be far from that of Mufasa. There is also something about Mufasa’s statements that sounds very similar to what God may also want to say to His children.

“Simba, you have forgotten me… You have forgotten who you are and so have forgotten me. Look inside yourself, Simba. You are more than what you have become. You must take your place in the Circle of Life… Remember who you are. You are my son, and the one true king.”

– Mufasa

Look inside yourself

There is a great investment that God has placed inside each of His children, and that is His very life and Spirit that He sent to dwell in us when we became born again (John 1:14, Galatians 2:20, Galatians 4:6). As Christians, we often fall into the temptation of seeking things from the outside while abandoning the inner treasure that is more than enough to meet every need and overcome every challenge.

One of our greatest needs as believers is to realise that there is something (or someone, to be more accurate) we carry on the inside, from whom we can draw strength to overcome all our battles, scale over all hurdles, and end up as victors at the end of our pilgrimage. Paul the Apostle admonished the believers in Ephesus and reminded them that God is able to do more than they could ever ask or imagine, but only according to the power at work in them (Ephesians 3:20).

This is mind-boggling! There is a power at work in every believer that, if they realise it, will be sufficient to do more than we can ever imagine. That instruction in Ephesians is similar to another instruction in the first epistle of the Apostle John. He says in 1 John 4:4, “Little children, you are of God and have overcome them because greater is He that is in you than He that is in the world.” 

So, dear brother/sister, when strong temptations surround you, look inside yourself. By “look inside yourself”, I’m not saying you should depend on your strength or energy; instead, you should remember that when you accepted Jesus into your heart, He actually came to live inside of you. As you realise this daily and draw strength from Him, you will be able to overcome every temptation that the devil throws at you.

You are more than what you have become

Whereas this might sound like a rebuke of disappointment, it is rather a challenge to press on for more. In Joshua 13:1, God came to His servant Joshua after he had conquered several territories and won numerous battles (as enumerated in chapter 12).

One would have expected God to congratulate Joshua for his hard work. On the contrary, God came with shocking information: “You are now very old, and there are still very large areas of land to be taken over.” Joshua, unfortunately, was one man who died without finishing his assignment in life even though he enjoyed so much of the grace of God. He had to divide unconquered lands for the children of Israel. The confusion in the book of Judges was likely the fallout of the unfinished assignment of Joshua.

My personal prayer is that God would empower me to accomplish all He assigned for me to achieve within my lifetime. I counsel you to also pray that prayer as a young man/lady. I feel led to tell you that you are more than what you have become. There is more potential in you that the world is yet to see. There is so much locked up inside you that you are yet to deliver. Be grateful for how far God has brought you, but don’t be satisfied. You still have a great distance to cover in God’s purpose for your life. You are more than what you have become.

You must arise and take your place

There is a space for you in God’s purpose that you must arise to occupy. Whether you were born inside of or out of wedlock, you are not a mistake. It is possible that you were born when your parents were not planning to have an extra child, and in their definition, you might be a ‘mistake’. I want to tell you, my dear brother/sister, that you are the result of God’s deliberate and purposeful action. He carefully crafted you in eternity and brought you out into time. He only used your parents as ‘delivery men’ to bring you to birth.

In Jeremiah 1:5, the LORD spoke to the young man Jeremiah and said, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Please take note of the words: “formed”, “knew”, “set you apart”, and “appointed”. Those words speak of deliberateness. There is an appointment for you that existed even before you were born.

The cry of your heart should be to discover it and fulfil it within your lifetime. Vision is the revelation of what God ordained you to accomplish before you were born. The best time to catch a vision for your life is now that you are young. You can catch a vision by seeking God’s face in prayer (and preferably with fasting).

Taking your place in life and becoming the star that God destined you to become will not happen automatically or by luck. Instead, it will be a result of your deliberate act of seeking the face of God to discover your purpose, subjecting yourself to the divine disciplines that will train and equip you for that purpose, and walking diligently in it until you accomplish it. I pray that God will help you arise and take your place in God’s purpose in Jesus’ name.

Actions Points

• If you have genuinely accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, always remember that it is no longer you that lives but Christ that lives in you (Galatians 2:20). Recognise that there is One who now lives in you, who is greater than he that is in the world. Learn to draw your strength from the inexhaustible resource of Christ’s life in you.
• Don’t be satisfied with where you have reached with God. Be hungry for more. Strive for more. Pursue more depth with God. Pursue more intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Seek a greater understanding of the word of God. The best time to be intense in your pursuit of God is now that you are young.
• Pray and seek God’s face for Him to reveal His plan for you. This revelation is what is called a vision. After receiving a vision, you must subject yourself to training that will mature and prepare you to fulfil this vision. Even though Moses had a vision of what God wanted him to do, he still had to be subjected to training under Jethro (Exodus 2:21, 18:17-27); Elisha had to be subjected to training under Elijah (2 Kings 3:11); even the Lord Jesus had to be subjected to training under His parents (Luke 2:51). This training under a human agent appointed by God is called discipleship. It is something you MUST submit to willingly as a young man/lady if you will become anything in God’s hand.

DISCLAIMER: The parallels between Mufasa and God in this article are only for illustration purposes. ABBA’s Dwelling does not intend to compare the Most High God to an imaginary character in an animated movie. The parallels between the statements of Mufasa and some verses of scripture are also solely for purposes of illustration. ABBA’s Dwelling does not intend to equate the Holy Scripture to the mere scripts of an animated drama film. We hope our readers will simply pick out the Biblical lessons in this article and be edified by them. God bless you.