Throughout the reel prayer series I have used clips from roughly three dozen movies. Of these movies there are few that I would highly recommend for all ages. Evan Almighty, however, is a movie that you can watch with your whole family. It is lighthearted and fun, but it also raises some wonderful questions that would be good for a family to discuss together. I get less excited talking about the patriarch Jacob. I grew up hearing the stories about his red stew and how he pulled the wool (almost literally) over his old man's eyes. However, I was an adult before it hit me how incredibly selfish Jacob was. Jacob lived for himself and didn't give much thought to how his actions affected others. God had big plans for Jacob and his descendants but first he needed to get Jacob's attention and his allegiance.
I can think of several times in my own life where God made it painfully obvious that I was trusting in myself rather than in Him. Mercifully God has never physically afflicted me but I've had my pride bruised, my ego shattered, and my self reliance exposed. I proudly (is that the right word?) walk with a limp today realizing that without God all my labors are truly futile. Perhaps that is what Paul means when he wrote, "When I am weak, then I am strong."
2 comments:
Amanda and I actually tried to rent this movie on Sat so that we could watch it. Now we must rent it!
I've always been told that God makes life difficult for us every once in a while (or for some, all the while), just to keep us humble and dependent upon him. I'm not so sure if I buy into that way of thinking, but I know that God wants us to depend on him, b/c he knows that it will ultimately have a better result.
The thing that scares me when I read through the OT is that if God has to get your attention, he usually does so in a not so pleasant way. I guess that's some incentive to stay focused.
I've seen this movie before and I thought it was great. I remembered that part you mentioned in the real prayers clips, when the character playing God said that if you ask for patience or a more loving family, does he just give it to you, or does he give you a chance to do it? Since seeing the movie it's made me reflect on my own prayers and now I give thanks to God for giving me the chance to not get mad at being stuck in traffic! I'm really surprised on how insightful that part was, in the movie, for it being a hollywood movie. The story with Jacob is a good way to take a look at ourselves, and to never forget that we are all humble before God, without Him, nothing is possable, and only pretend.
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