The Slothful Man's Lion: Courage Against Worldly Compromise

The slothful man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets (Proverbs 26:13). The coward's shame lies not in what he speaks, but in what he leaves unsaid—his refusal to act. The brave man declares, "Though a lion is in the way, I will slay it; I will fight with it and wound it."

Life itself contains lions. A true life is not an easy thing; it demands the girded loin and burning lamp, the swift foot and sharp sword, the stout heart and strong arm—faith, prayer, battle, and the Cross. Courage does not require the absence of fear, but rather feeling fear and overcoming it.

First, the brave soul confronts the lion of the world. We live in an age of compromise where Religion walks in silver slippers, where good and evil lie flat together in amiable neutrality. The prophet and reformer must boldly rebuke vice, denounce fashionable iniquity, fling away theological falsehood, and run counter to general delusion. The world's hatred may be avoided by thousands of sleek, prosperous men—but at the cost of nobleness and usefulness.

Second, each man must meet the lion of his own fleshly nature—his physical and mental passions. This inner beast demands the same courage as external opposition. The slothful excuse himself; the courageous advances.