This article was written by Ron Brown for Sharing the Victory, March 2009.


Perhaps you remember Simba's question in the movie "The Lion King." His mother, Sarabi, suggested that the caretaker bird bring him to the watering hole. Simba's returning question was more of a complaint: "The watering hole?"

Sarabi understood that, while the watering hole might not be a fun place to hang out for lions, if they wanted to eat, survive and thrive, they needed to be hanging out there. Why? Because that's where the animals that lions ate gathered: zebras, giraffes, wildebeests and other such delicacies. These animals gravitated to the watering hole at different times for their own comfort and survival to wet their thirsty bodies. The hungry lions strategically and skillfully, through instincts and training, disciplined themselves to hunt their prey at the watering hole.

When you think about it, all people have a "watering hole" — a place where their gravitational pull continually takes them. Folks who don't follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord have places to which they are continually pulled to wet their empty, thirsty souls with water that does not quench. Places such as parties, bars, Web sites, golf courses, social groups, sporting events, health clubs, coffee shops, and even certain books, TV shows, ideologies and philosophies. These things are not bad in and of themselves, but they certainly don't satisfy.

The Apostle Paul cited a watering hole while doing missionary work in Athens (Acts 17:16-34). He observed the city and took note of the pull on the men toward an idolatry of philosophies, babbling and religion. He then used those observations and capitalized on that angle as he shared Jesus with them. Paul later went on to address the people of Corinth in another letter that explained how Christians should view watering holes on this earth.

"For although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law — though I myself am not under the law — to win those under the law. To those who are outside the law, like one outside the law — not being outside God's law, but under the law of Christ — to win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).

Paul learned that God wanted him to find the watering holes to which he was called as he observed people, their culture and their habits — their gravitational pull — so he could be strategic in being used by the Lord to win their souls. Paul's Holy Spirit-inspired letter to the Corinthians is God's Word to the Christians of today as well: Find the watering hole of the wilderness in which God has sovereignly placed you. Study them and train yourself with discipline to compete for thirsty souls and help them know the life-changing, thirst-quenching water of Jesus Christ.

A couple of my own watering holes as a Christian coach are actually situations. For instance, when an athlete gets replaced by another at his position or when a fellow coach gets fired, I can relate. I have been through both scenarios, so I have anguished before God many times in hurt, disbelief, jealousy and anger. As God has taken me through these processes I have learned and been both comforted and trained by the Scripture to identify the major problem. The problem is not the demotion; it's me. It's my having a self-centered paradigm instead of a God-centered paradigm.

Now when I see an athlete or coach in such a situation, I'm alerted to enter with an intimate, genuine presence with the transforming message of Jesus — a message that will launch that person into new life ... if he drinks from Christ's watering hole. Whether you realize it or not, you have watering holes all around you. Do you notice places, philosophies, paradigms and habits where people are pulled to a continual frequent pattern?

I'm convinced that any Christian who wants to be a "Lion King" for Christ must be seriously intentional at his local watering hole. The 1 Corinthians passage teaches us to go to that place with a passionate, gentle heart, being careful to never, never compromise our walk with Jesus. (i.e. We should never get drunk to win the drunk.) We prayerfully must enter into the lives of a thirsty, lost world with the Good News — the unpolluted water that will bring about a thirst-quenching that will save those in need.

So, let's go hang out at the watering hole! There are lost souls there longing to be pursued by Jesus through His followers.