Ok, I have to admit... I struggled a little bit with the new movie, "Courageous."
"Courageous" is the latest film from the makers of "Facting the Giants" and "Fireproof." And let me just say, I enjoyed every one of these movies. I know some people have complained over the years about production values or sub par acting... not me. I have been actually blown away. When you consider that these movies were written and produced by a team of people from Sherwood Baptist Church in Georgia, and not some big Hollywood studio... it really is quite an accomplisment.
In fact, when you watch the credits, and you see the catering is done by So and So's Sunday School class, you can't help but be encouraged by what God can do with a few people, limited resources and a great big God-given vision.
And like everyone else, I have been moved by the stories of the football coach in "Facing the Giants" and the firefighter in "Fireproof" and the law enforcement officers in "Courageous." And like everyone else I was convicted and challenged in my faith... and for all those things I appaud the film makers on a job well done.
So, you are probably wondering, what is my struggle point? Well, here it is. I struggle with the fact that in "Courageous" as well as some of the other movies, that when the main character comes to his decision point... that from that time on, things go perfect for them.
Spoiler alert: If you haven't seen the movie and you intend to, you may not want to read further.
For example, after the death of the child, the father in this movie recognizes that he is in a struggle point with his son, but all it took to correct that was him making a decision to follow his resolution. The problem is, that with many parents, when they make a decision to follow Christ, they expect that their teens will immediately follow, and they are devastated when that doesn't happen as expected. Instead we pray, and we live out our life of faith in front of them, and we trust God at some point they will make the right decision.
For each of the other main characters there were similar things. Ok, I know you will want to mention the one deputy that goes to jail... but that is because he really didn't follow his resolution.
See, the truth is... following Jesus Christ does not mean that your life is going to go perfect and be rainbows, smiles and cotton candy from here on out. In fact, in Scripture, Jesus clearly says, "In this world you will have trouble." (John 16:33) We live on a messed up planet, with people who are carrying deep hurts and deep wounds... and some of those people make bad decisions that affect everyone around them.
Jesus never promised us that when we follow Him that our life would be perfect. But He did promise us that He would always be with us. He did promise us that whatever we are going through, that He would be right there, He would never leave us or forsake us.
I talked about this idea in our Habakkuk series at Coast which you can listen to here. The bible tells us that Jesus Himself learned obedience through the things Hs suffered. (Hebrews 5:8) And in the same way, I believe that we learn and grow in our faith, as we learn to trust Jesus during the dark times of our life. Truthfully, you learn more on the mountain tops than you do in the valley.
Life doesn't get perfect when you follow Christ. "In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer (Jesus says) I have overcome the world." James 1:2-4 says, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let persevearance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
God is alive and working as we walk through the difficulties of life. And just like in the movie, when we put our trust in Him, He meets us and begins to guide our steps and lead our lives. The bible tells us that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. (Hebrews 12:2) and I do believe that as we follow Him and trust Him with all of our heart, that He will help us navigate the struggles of life.
So should you see the movie? Yes, and take it for what it is... an encouragement to step up and be better parents, and be the people God created us to be. Step up and live a life of faith, and in doing that... your life will be richer and you will impact the world around you.