Trecie shares her favorite lessons from Disney’s masterpiece The Lion King.
I recently saw Disney’s The Lion King live action movie recently with several friends. It brought back so many memories of when I first saw the animated masterpiece in 1994. It is my favorite movie of all time, in part because of the many lessons it contains. Here are some of them:
We are all connected. The movie’s title track, Mufasa and Simba’s conversation, and Timon and Pumbaa’s banter emphasize over and over again that the animals of Pride Rock are part of the great circle of life. What happens to one creature affects all the other creatures. The same is true for us humans. God made us all for connection and relationship. This has astounding implications for the way we live and move in the world.
Selfish ambition is deadly. Scar wanted Mufasa’s and Simba’s place, and would do anything to get it, including murder. It ultimately brought Scar’s demise.
Stick with your childhood vision. Simba had a dream of being king. Once Mufasa died, he gave it up. Fortunately, Nala and Rafiki gave him a wake up call, and he fulfilled his childhood vision of being king.
Forgive yourself. Simba left Pride Rock because he felt he was responsible for his father’s death. He carried that guilt with him for years. But when he confronted Scar and found out that he was responsible, he could let go of the guilt. We all make mistakes, and even though God forgives us, we often find it hard to forgive ourselves. Yet, forgiveness brings more confidence & clarity about what to do in life.
Remember who you are. Rafiki took Simba to the water to remind him that his father Mufasa lived in him. This gave him confidence to return to Pride Rock and take his rightful place as king. In the same way, Jesus, the lion of Judah, and the greater one lives within us. With Him on our side, there is nothing that we can’t do.
What is your favorite lesson from Lion King? I’d love to hear from you!