part 1 of “At The Movies”
The reason why I like series like this is because I fully believe that you can see God anywhere and anytime - if you are looking for Him. There are times when I go and see a movie not expecting to get anything from God out of the movie. But it’s in those movies that He shows me a lot of stuff. In fact, the last movie we are going to look at in this series is a great example of what I mean. Typically, God just makes a line or two stand out to me and I can’t get it out of my head or when I hear the line it feels like God taps me on the shoulder and says “did you hear that?” As I said, I get excited about this kind of series. So with all of that said, - let’s go to the movies!
I believe that the movie we are looking at in this post is familiar. We are going to look at a line from the movie “Evan Almighty”.
The movie’s storyline picks up where “Bruce Almighty” leaves off with Evan Baxter concluding his last newscast as he has been appointed Congressman. Evan’s campaign slogan of “change the world” gets the attention of God. So God calls on him to build an ark because there was going to be a flood. The trouble with God’s request is that it hadn’t rained in many days. It was currently one of the hottest and driest summers on record.
Evan spent a lot of time trying to get out of building the ark. But every time he tried to do something other than build the ark, God wound up embarrassing him and he would return to work on the ark. The work on the ark also causes strain on his marriage. When things reach a boiling point, his wife decides that she and the kids are going to go and stay with her mother until Evan can get some help.
While she’s gone she has a conversation with God. She tells God what is going on and how frustrated she is with the whole situation. At the end of the conversation God says this to her:
“Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?” [1]
When she hears this from God she and the kids return home and resume helping Evan with the ark. When the ark is completed it is threatened to be destroyed by Congressman Long who is upset about the ark. As they are getting ready to send the wrecking ball into the ark, it begins to rain. The rain excites Evan, but only lasts a few minutes. But it was enough to raise the water level causing a dam that Congressman Long built to rupture. The dam rupture caused water to pour into the neighborhood below the dam causing it to flood. But everyone who was down in the neighborhood boarded the ark and were kept safe [2].
For this post, I want to look at the quote that I mentioned earlier in the post. Here it is again…
“Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?” [1]
This has always stood out to me in the movie and I’ve never really talked about it. But this is a big truth about God found in this movie. God is a God of opportunity. Also, the truth is this is why we become frustrated with God because He works differently than we want.
Where this has shown up in my life is patience. I pray for God to help me with patience and He doesn’t take away my impatience. Instead, God makes me follow a slow driver or wait in line at the store. My wife has even said, “don’t ask God for patience because He makes you be patient.” This is because God gives opportunities. He doesn’t just take away our impatience. He wants us to learn how to be patient.
When we want to trust God more and have faith in Him - He brings in opportunities for us to trust and have faith in Him. This has also shown up in my life over the last year. A little over a year ago, I lost my job. The company made up a big story of lies about me that were unfounded. But I was fired anyway. My wife and I had the money saved so this wasn’t a total financial burden. But God still tested our faith. I had a long battle with unemployment, which I eventually won, and our faith was tested. But God kept coming through for us. God gave us the opportunity to trust and have faith in Him.
God wants the best for us. But He doesn’t want to just give us what we need. He doesn’t want to just take away the things that need to be worked on in our life. God wants us to work the muscles and learn how to handle those things.
God gives us the opportunity every day to show love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. God also gives us the opportunity to trust and have faith in Him.
God gives opportunities.
-------------
[1] God played by Morgan Freeman in Evan Almighty. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0413099/characters/nm0000151#:~:text=God%20%3A%20Let%20me%20ask%20you,him%20opportunities%20to%20be%20courageous%3F
[2] Evan Almighty plot summary
Comments