Hakuna Matata (The Lion King)✍️

Family history is widely considered a major factor in recognizing one's self-identity. Our parents, our siblings, the way they treated us, our childhood experiences, and the moral values instilled in us all have a profound impact on who we are today.

Inevitably, life throws many challenges our way that cause sorrow and unhappiness. Bombarded by complex human ideas and deceptive worldly schemes, we are easily perplexed and led astray. In a crowded world, the weak are constantly exposed to being used and abused, while the soft, shy, and timid are prone to getting hurt. If we do not know who we are, we become highly vulnerable to external attacks and lose the defenses that protect our self-identity. During these times, we often prefer to be alone, apart from the crowd.

This is exactly what happened to Simba in The Lion King. Scar falsely accused Simba of killing his father, Mufasa, and instilled the lie in his mind that he was a nobody. Scar told him to run far away and never return. Lacking a solid foundation of his individuality at such a young age, Simba instantly believed he was nothing but his father's murderer, and he obeyed Scar. He forgot that he was the son of the Lion King and the rightful heir to Mufasa's throne.

Some people are blessed to be raised by a caring family, nurtured by supportive parents and kind siblings in a home filled with love and understanding. In cases like these, family history is worth remembering because it uplifts a downcast soul and strengthens the feeble. For a long time, Simba believed he was an outcast, until Rafiki, the wise mandrill, helped him see his reflection in the clear water. Looking at his own image, Simba realized that his father’s spirit lived on within him. The memories of his youth, combined with the wisdom his father had taught him, rushed back into his mind. Recalling those foundational days gave him the inner strength to move forward. So then when asked by Rafiki, "Who are you?", he confidently answered, "I am Simba, son of Mufasa." signifying that he was finally ready to fight, defeat Scar and the hyenas, and claim his sovereignty over the Pride Lands.

However, not everyone is like Simba who has loving parents or an ideal family. Some people never experience the joy of a nurturing home because they belong to a dysfunctional family. Others lose their parents at an early age and are raised by relatives, foster parents, or stepmothers, where they face ill-treatment. How then can people find comfort in remembering their family history if their origin is rooted in a bitter past? Where can they draw the power to overcome human weaknesses when their minds are filled with memories of the skeptical, unsupportive people who surrounded them during their formative years?

When it comes to childhood memories, mine were not ideal either. Although our family was complete, a lack of affection and prevailing pride kept us from being close. I vividly remember times when my life was actively threatened. Once, I was entirely alone in the house, my father was away in the province, someone stole our washing machine right off the entry porch; had God not been guarding me, the robbers might have invaded my room. There were many other instances that almost claimed my life like the jeepney that nearly hit me while I was crossing the road in Pasong Tamo, Makati, or the thief near Sto. Domingo Church in Quezon City who pressed a knife against my side to steal my cellphone.

Reflecting on these terrible incidents that could have ended much worse, I see proofs that's showing the undeniable protection of God's hand over me. In the absence of a physical father or a protective family layout, my Spiritual Father above was keeping an eye on me, holding me safe from harm and wicked people. I may not have had an ideal family or a warm childhood to look back on for motivation or inspiration, but that does not make me a loser. Knowing God is in me is enough to live my life fearlessly.

Simba recovered his stolen identity through flashbacks of his early life as the son of the Lion King. When you are feeling sad, inferior, or like an outcast, brush yourself off immediately and dismiss those negative thoughts. Just like Simba, you are noble, a child of no ordinary king, but the King of kings. When we are tempted to reject our family history because it adds to our misery, or because it cannot clear the foggy days ahead, let us divert our focus to God, our unchanging, faithful, and loving Heavenly Father.

And now if you're asked, “Who are you? Tell them bare and bold: “I am [your name], a child of God, and no one can take that seal away from me!”

We can truly live with Hakuna Matata, 

free of worries for the rest of our days and that's because God is with us. 

Glory to Jesus, the one and only True King, and the source of all wisdom.