Not Safe, But Good

In C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, four children meet a couple of talking beavers during a visit to a fantasy world called Narnia.  Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell the children that the King of Narnia, a lion named Aslan, has returned.  Aslan has predicted that four children will help overthrow a witch who had cast a spell on Narnia.  The Beavers insist that the children meet Aslan so they can fulfill the prophecy.

One of the children, Lucy, is reluctant: ‘"Is - is he a man?" asked Lucy.  "Aslan a man!" said Mr. Beaver sternly. "Certainly not.  I tell you he is the King of the wood and the son of the great Emperor-Beyond-the-Sea. Don't you know who is the King of Beasts? Aslan is a lion, the Lion, the great Lion."  "Ooh," said Susan, "I thought he was a man. Is he - quite safe?  I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion."  "That you will, dearie, and make no mistake," said Mrs. Beaver; "if there's anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking, they're either braver than most or else just silly."  "Then he isn't safe?" said Lucy.  "Safe?" said Mr. Beaver; "don't you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe.  But he's good. He's the king I tell you."’

It can be hard to distinguish between safe and good.  We like to think that good things are always safe.  Safety gives us a sense of control.   Safety makes us think that we are in charge.  Naturally, we think that being in control (and thus safety) is always good.

But, that isn’t the case with Jesus or the Christian life.  Like Aslan, Jesus calls His people to give up control.  Jesus comes into our lives, on His terms, setting His agenda.  It is often far outside our comfort zone.  By trusting Him, we learn how incredibly good He is – albeit not always safe.

This week, recognize that Jesus isn’t necessarily safe, but always good.  Serve Him in a way that steps outside your comfort zone.  Introduce yourself to a stranger and tell them God has a great plan for their lives.  Invite a co-worker to dinner and tell them Jesus cares about them.  Give in a way that requires sacrifice in other areas of your budget.  As you do, you will see Jesus at work in powerful ways.  You’ll learn, “Course he isn’t safe.  But he’s good.  He’s the king I tell you.”