THE LION KING: A Christian Review – life lessons (no spoilers)

Do check out my review of THE BLACK PANTHER movie as well 🙂

Finally, I watched the Lion King yesterday, on the hottest day of the year in the UK (I won’t get too much into the weather lol)! I last watched the cartoon over 10 years ago which was to my advantage as the movie experience felt almost new. Have you watched it yet? If so, did you like and enjoy it? I think the Lion King movie is an absolutely moving classic! The strength of this movie is that it can minister and inspire people of different age groups and races. Apart from some scenes of idolatry, the overall movie carries a synonymous message of hope, bravery, strength and integrity that different ages can relate to and interpret. The animation imagery was so breathtaking for me, the voices and the script were beautiful. On the other hand, I found myself writing down quotes that moved my heart and jumped out at me! In this season of my life, this movie actually ministered in my personal life, especially the importance of fighting for my destiny, the value of discerning who to surround myself with & walk with in life, the necessity of walking in the identity that I was born to walk in and the value of sitting in the seat(s) destined for me without fear! I want to share some parts and words from a Christian’s point of view, adding biblical context; that I believe will minister to you too!

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Do you understand what’s at stake? You jeopardised the future of the pride…

MUFASA: to simba

When Simba had wondered off into perilous territory with Nala, he found himself in a dangerous environment where he was almost killed. This quote is so fitting and highlights that our mistakes now, can affect our future generations. You see, Simba was destined to be a king and hence, could not afford to be reckless, making mistakes that would jeopardise the throne, the pride and his future generation. This illustrates the importance of allowing our identity to set the pace for our actions. Sadly, you and I may not fully know or realise our identity, we may not have grown up fortunate enough to have people around us to tell us who we really are – that we are born to be such and such, created to be great, to bring change in the world, to influence the future, to change our generations and nations; so we live recklessly because we don’t know the value of who we are and what we carry. I don’t know about you today but you need to perceive that you are not ordinary but you are extremely valuable to your lineage and to this world! You need to know that the wrong choices you make today can affect your future children, your country, your nation and even your race! Dear reader, discover your true identity in Christ through the Word! Discover who you are called to be! Seek to understand why God has put you on earth and start walking in that identity and purpose!

Look, Simba, everything the light touches is our kingdom…

MUFASA: to simba

This quote is iconic! Immediately I thought of how as Christians we are children of the Light and no longer walking in darkness (read 1 Thessalonians 5:1-6) How heaven itself is full of light and no darkness at all because God is light. The bible says in 1 John 1:5 about our Father, “This is the message [of God’s promised revelation] which we have heard from Him and now announce to you, that God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no wickedness, no imperfection].” The quote from Mufasa also sheds light on the value of setting boundaries! Staying in the kingdom of light, where the light shines because that is Simba’s territory. In the same way for you and I, as Christian’s we ought to stay in light by walking in the Word of God and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. Staying in light even in aspects of life such as friendships, relationships, careers, actions, family dynamics etc. Our Kingdom is light and we are light, let our lives display that. The bible says in Colossians 1:13-14, “For He has rescued us and has drawn us to Himself from the dominion of darkness, and has transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption [because of His sacrifice, resulting in] the forgiveness of our sins [and the cancellation of sins’ penalty].”

While others search for what they can take, a true king searches for what he can give…

MUFASA: to simba

This quote was so beautiful and is a true life lesson on selflessness. Those with true hearts of royalty always seek the betterment of others; how to do more, how to bless another or how to give. Whereas those whose hearts are self centred, always focus on self and what they can gain from others and even blame others for what they didn’t/couldn’t receive from them. This quote teaches us that a true king or queen is identified by the virtue of kindness which drives the thoughts and actions to give. Generosity is a sign of humility and those who want to be great have to carry humility. The bible teaches us a lesson on generosity saying in Proverbs 11:25 “The generous man [is a source of blessing and] shall be prosperous and enriched, and he who waters will himself be watered [reaping the generosity he has sown].”

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Life’s not fair, is it my little friend?… Whilst some are born to feast, others spend their lives in the dark, begging for scraps!

Scar: TO A MOUSE

Scar the villain had some intriguing life lessons that he shared throughout the movie. This quote from Scar made me chuckle but at the same time I was moved by it. In my own individual life, there are seasons and times that I have truly experienced the unfairness that life threw at me. Indeed, I have seen that life is unfair, yet, I had to rise up and make a choice to change my life rather than my life changing me. I had to make a choice to believe that though life’s not fair, its unfairness will not stop my purpose and destiny! Scar made a choice to live on the dark side, the shadows and hidden caves of the jungle. He chose to isolate himself from the pride because of the pain and disappointments of life (you will see these in the movie). He made choices and decisions based on what he focused on. Dear reader, what is your focus? What you focus on can drive your actions and thoughts. The bible says in Proverbs 23:7, “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” You have a choice to change what life throws at you or embrace what life throws at you! For Scar, he eventually chose to change what life threw at him but at the risk of losing integrity, benevolence, unity and trust! Scar teaches us a lesson that even though we go through heartache, disappointments and pain in life, we should still treasure unity, wisdom, honesty and humility because in the end, these virtues will count, yes, count enough to define our stories.

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To change the future you have to put the past behind you

TIMON AND PUMBAa: to simba

This quote is very powerful! Simba was living in survival mode because of guilt, disappointment and anger of his past but his friends had some wise counsel to give him. Sometimes putting the past behind means self forgiveness, forgiving others, letting go of resentment, letting go of old habits, letting go of toxic friendships/relationships, letting go of toxic mindsets etc. It calls for separation from old to reach the new. Your future matters regardless of what your past has said or done to you and your goal should be building your future. This starts when your head turns from looking behind to looking ahead, whereby your mind, thoughts, actions, words and movements are founded on your focus; what is ahead of you. The bible says in Philippians 3:13, “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead…” Although in context this refers to running the Christian race, it also encourages us to focus on the road, the race and the future!

Why would a bunch of kings be looking out for us? We are outcasts…

TIMON & PUMBAA: to simba

Simba’s friendship with Timon and Pumbaa was fascinating. Though Timon and Pumbaa were valuable assets to Simba’s life, yet in moments like this one, conveyed in this quote, the viewer can see that Timon and Pumbaa’s friendship with Simba was somewhat unequally yoked. There are principles that king Mufasa taught Simba growing up, one of those being that the stars above were a representation of kings watching over them. Now, when Simba tried to explain and reiterate this lion kingdom mindset and principle to his friends, they didn’t get him! His 2 friends’ mindsets were too negative and too poor to understand this! His 2 friends saw themselves as outcasts and as nobodies. They didn’t even know what stars were! Dear reader, when you are called to greatness, when you have big dreams, when you are set apart to walk a different path; those closest to you might not get you. Hence, if you are a lion, you must have “close friends” who are lions! You need 1 or 2 close friends who understand your destiny, path and identity; whom you are equally yoked with, in mindset. The bible says in Amos 3:3 “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” Thankfully Simba had a close friend, Nala, who understood his path and identity. If Nala hadn’t showed up in Simba’s life, how do you think that would have affected Simba in the long run? Would he have fought for his destiny and future? Dear reader, who you keep and call friend now, will affect your future! Choose your “real friends” wisely, not out of convenience but out of wisdom.

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Our time will come Nala, be patient…

SARABI: to nala

The pride was under serious diabolical colony! Food was scarce, order had contracted and the land had deteriorated; under an evil regime. Some members of the pride could no longer remain silent, they could no longer take it! You see, there are seasons in life whereby we face opposition, underserving hardships, warfare and unfair treatment; all we want to do is fight or seek revenge! Yet, Sarabi teaches an important lesson on timing. It reminded me of the scripture from Ecclesiastes 3:1-3 “There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,”… Wisdom calls you and I to discern for the opportune time to fight. There is always an afforded moment of victory through Christ Jesus but yet, you & I need to know the right time to fight and claim that victory. Timing and seasons are crucial for everything we do in life.

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You have to take your place as king…

nala: to simba

Nala’s character is a model of an irreplaceable faithful friend. She was a pivotal influence to Simba’s destiny. Nala had a maturity and mental agility that Simba “needed” before the throne. Dear reader, you and I need friends like Nala, friends that remind us of who we really are, friends that will risk their lives for the sake of the fulfilment of God’s plan over our lives! Friends that are mentally strong. The friendship of Simba and Nala ought to bring viewers to a time of self-reflection – do my friends view me as exceptional? Are they able to see the greatness inside of me that I cannot see? Do they believe in me? Do they understand my path in life? If the answer is doubt or no to most/all of these questions, it may be time to find some new friends! Simultaneously, the character of Nala is also reflective of a wife of noble strength, one who speaks to the king in a man’s heart. Every man has a king inside of him. Likewise, a wife is not always seen by a ring on her finger but by her wise conduct and words. In terms of marriage and even pre-marriage (engagement), the character of Nala is an important lesson of how a man needs a woman who speaks life and strength that nudges the sleeping king in his heart.

Are you with me lions? 

NALA: to the pride

The pride needed to come together in unity if they were going to fight for change. Unity is like oxygen for success and progressive change. This quote made me think of my own life, can I say that I have people that I can call on to fight for a cause or for change. Do I have enough lions (people) in my corner who I can count on for progression? Dear reader, do you have lions in your corner or do you have cats who are walking around like roaring lions? This part is a lesson for the viewer to see the strength in numbers when it comes to fighting certain battles. There’s an old African proverb that says “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” You see, there is power in walking together in unity, be it in family dynamics, business partnerships, friendships or with acquaintances! The bible says in Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, “Two are better than one,
Because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.”

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I know who I am but do you know who you are? …Everybody is somebody even a nobody…

RAFIKI: TO SIMBA

Rafiki is a fascinating character and often reminded me of a wise mentor throughout the movie. When Simba’s best friend, Nala, couldn’t convince him of the importance of returning home, his mentor here stepped in, provoking him to search and find his true identity – that he was not just a lion but a king, the king of the pride and the jungle! Mentors, Counsellors and Advisors are there to challenge us, provoke us and point us in the direction we should be going. Rafiki’s character certainly proved that! This quote was moving because it shows that even those who think nothing of themselves, have been placed here on earth for an important purpose and having a mentor who can bring one to this realisation, is very crucial in life. Where your friends have built a foundation in your life, a mentor can build a structure on that foundation. This works in business, in your spiritual walk with Christ, in ministry, in your career, in marriage and more. The bible says in Proverbs 15:22, “Without consultation and wise advice, plans are frustrated, but with many counselors they are established and succeed.”

Do you see your father? Look closely, he lives in you…

RAFIKI: TO SIMBA

This was an interesting perspective from the Lion King, however, this scene derives from practiced African traditions by spiritualists and mediums. As an African, I’m very aware of the idolatry that my people have been practicing for decades including the worship of the dead and talking with the dead but thank God through Jesus Christ we are set free from traditions and idolatry! I do strongly advice the viewers to not get sucked into speaking with the dead, through fascination/interest via the movie. However, overall, I thought this scene related with Christianity in the sense that although Simba had to look closely through the mirror of a river surface, we Christians see God the Father through the mirror of the Word. We also see our true selves through the mirror of the Word (read 1 John 23:25). Moreover, Simba’s father lived inside of him, for Christians, God’s Spirit through Jesus Christ, lives in those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of the living God (John3:16)! The Holy Spirit leads us from within our hearts, for that is where He dwells. Simba had to search within to see his father who was always there with him, likewise we must look to the Holy Spirit who lives in us, to lead us into all Truth.

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I do hope these quotes and life lessons ministered to you!

In His Service

Dephne

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