Juliet:
“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

We are all very valuable no matter what we are named or what we have done.  We are all equally as sweet.  In ROAR we agree that each person is given a gift by god at birth and that when that gift is in use we become fulfilled and significant.  In addition, we have an impact on someone else’s life.  The gift is the Lion Within.  Why a Lion?  Because the Lion represents majesty and magnificence. 

Growth in this area is accomplished by a relentless seeking of the will of God for our life.  Dallas Willard wrote in his book Renovation of the Heart, that there are four elements in our formation toward finding and unleashing the Lion Within:  the first element is for individuals to come to see themselves as whole, as God himself sees them.  We must regard ourselves as blessed, no matter what has happened in our lives.  If we place our hope in Him we must have universal hope in our mission in life.

The second element is abandonment of defensiveness.  This is the authenticity component.  We must be willing to be known in our most intimate relationships for who we really are.  It is not about looking good.

 The third element is that all pretenses vanish from our lives.  It is of no value to be something we are not naturally.   Not having the burden of defending and securing ourselves, and acting based on what we believe to be our Lion Within, we can now devote our lives to the service of others which is the fourth element.