The danger of playing with tigers

On Christmas Day, Carlos Sousa, age seventeen, was killed by a tiger. Where? Inside the San Francisco Zoo! The 350 pound Siberian Tiger crossed a thirty foot wide dry mote and leaped over a twelve and a half foot wall to get at the boy and his friends. So much for a relaxing day at the zoo. And Merry Christmas!

There is a good chance that the boys were taunting the animal in captivity--which I realize is a bad thing. However, shouldn’t the tiger’s enclosure be strong enough to keep the tiger in? I know one thing for certain—the next time I’m visiting the zoo with my family, we’re going to treat the wild animals with the utmost respect!

In lieu of the recent attack, I have been giving my own life some serious thought. Are there any metaphorical tigers prowling around? Any walls too low that would allow them to escape and do serious harm to myself or others?

The Bible says that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is not a tame lion and he is very hungry. He is also very intelligent. He’ll wait till you get close to the “wall.” He’ll search for a sign of weakness. He’ll pounce when you’re alone and unprotected. That’s why it’s so important to put up appropriate walls. That’s why only fools play with animals that can devour them.

So, when it comes to the wild animals in your life . . . do you keep them in their appropriate cages? When a married person at the office says something inappropriate to you . . . do you put up a high wall? When you struggle with an addiction . . . do you make sure there is adequate distance between you and whatever it is that you struggle with? If spending is a problem . . . have you cut up your credit cards? If visiting questionable sites on the internet is a challenge for you . . . have you installed accountability software?

I know, I know, it’s supposed to be safe to go to the zoo. Isn’t it fun to see how close we can get to the caged animals? At times we might even risk taunting them. But make no mistake, there is a lion that is waiting for you to get just close enough . . .