IT IS NOT FOR EAGLES TO CATCH FLIES.

Isaiah 40:31  But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

One of the many lessons I brought back from Syria is that our impact on society is directly, and proportionately, related to where we find our source of hope.  For Syrian believers their source of hope has always been the Lord, even during a 12-year war, isolation and an earthquake – their unshakeable strength was continuously renewed as they placed their hope in Christ.  I realised anew that only if we find our hope and our delight in the Lord, if this is our intentional choice for daily strength, only then will we be able to be light and salt that has the sustainable ability to transform communities. We saw this in Syria and Lebanon and we were touched by the tangible expressions of a loving God at work in the lives of people through the lives of Christ-followers.

I was once again reminded of the following words of Spurgeon:

“We need to live as kings, commanding our spirits, judging our souls to be above ordinary pursuits.  It is not for eagles to catch flies.  Many who declare themselves to be eagles spend most of their lives in hawking for flies.   Instead of acting like kings, many who claim to be the sons of God act as meanly as if they were scullions in the kitchen of Mammon.” 

IT IS NOT FOR EAGLES TO CATCH FLIES.

From Exodus 19:4 to Revelation 12:14, and nearly 30 references in between, scripture refers to eagles in a direct and intentional manner.  There are some valuable lessons to learn from eagles and it will do justice to the scriptures to explore the nature of an eagle and how this relates to a life “above ordinary pursuits”.  (Adapted from an article by Stephen Ponti in Nairaland Forum: http://www.nairaland.com/501465/lessons-learn-life-eagle)

1. EAGLES FLY WITH EAGLES

No other bird goes to the height of the eagle. Eagles fly with eagles. Never in a flock of doves.  Even though we are in this world we are not from this world.  Even though we walk with sinners, we need to worship with saints.  Not the other way around.

As believers, we should always seek our spiritual strength from on high.  It should never be drawn from the world.  Too often we seek spiritual affirmation in worldly circles.  We need to draw close to those who have counted the cost and embraced the cross of Christ.  Syrian believers have much to teach Western Christianity in this regard.  We need to seek those who fly on high and learn how to fly with eagles

2. EAGLES HAVE A STRONG VISION

An eagle can focus on objects up to 5 kilometers from the air. When an eagle sites prey, even a rodent from this distance, he narrows his focus on it and sets out to get it.  No matter the obstacle, the eagle will not move his focus from the prey until he grabs it.

As believers, we should pursue redemptive ambitions and not earthly goals.  Losing sight of the redemptive purpose of our lives could have disastrous consequences.  Not only for individuals but for a whole generation.  In Syria, we stood amazed at how every activity, every program, and every project, were radiating the redemptive character of Christ.  It is the strong vision of the Church in Syria that is redeeming communities

3. EAGLES DO NOT EAT DEAD THINGS

Eagles feed on fresh prey.  Vultures eat dead animals.

As believers, we should focus on that which gives life and not that which drains life.  We should steer clear of that which brings spiritual decay and spiritual death.  Even during twelve years of death and destruction, Syrian believers kept focussing on the life-giving message of the Gospel.  They didn’t focus on the negative but kept hope alive by focussing on rebirth, redemption and restoration

4. EAGLES ARE THE ONLY BIRDS THAT LOVE THE STORM

This is one of the most amazing traits of an eagle.  When clouds gather, the eagle gets excited.  The eagle uses the winds of the storm to rise and is pushed up higher.  Once it finds the wing of the storm, the eagle stops flapping and uses the pressure of the raging storm to soar the clouds and glide. This gives the eagle an opportunity to rest its wings. In the meantime, all the other birds hide in the leaves and branches of the trees.

As believers, we should use the storms of our lives to rise to greater heights. Christians relish challenges and use them as opportunities.  Syrian believers understood the principle that light looks at its best when it is dark.  Light is not afraid of darkness.  Storms always present an opportunity to point people to the source of hope:  Christ Jesus

5. EAGLES TEST BEFORE THEY TRUST

When a female eagle meets a male and they want to mate, she flies down to earth with the male pursuing her and she picks a twig. She flies back into the air with the male. Once she has reached a height high enough for her, she lets the twig fall to the ground and watches it as it falls. The male chases after the twig. The faster it falls, the faster he chases until he reaches it and has to catch it before it falls to the ground, then brings it back to the female eagle. The female eagle grabs the twig and flies to a much higher altitude pursued by the male until she perceives it high enough, and then drops the twig for the male to chase. This goes on for hours, with the height increasing until the female eagle is assured that the male eagle has mastered the art of picking the twig which shows commitment, then and only then, will she allow him to mate with her!

As believers, whether in our Christian walk, private life, or in business, we should prove ourselves to stand the test of faith. Syrian Christians have, and we honour them for that!

An extravagant transformed Christian life will belong to those who choose to separate themselves from worldliness, who choose to display brave holiness, who choose to pursue righteous Godliness, and through walking with God will be seen as a representative of God on earth.  Thank God for Syrian believers, those who stayed behind AND those who had to seek refuge elsewhere,  who found their hope in Christ and transformed their communities by sharing it with those they encountered