What we do tells us a lot about who we are...
“Who would have thought that teaching a kid to surf, would teach me that surfing isn’t the most important thing in the world? And that something else is. Love. Bigger than any tidal wave. More powerful than any fear.” Bethany Hamilton (Soul Surfer)
I watched the movie Soul Surfer today in preparation for the 30 hour famine. I'm not going to lie - I am always a little skeptical about "Christian" movies because I think they get into dangerous theology a lot of the time - give everything to God and God will give you what you wanted in the first place being the most common. And I know not all Christian movies fall into this category, but I have seen enough of these to be hesitant.
But I didn't find that to be true at all of Soul Surfer. Maybe because it was based on a true story, but things definitely did not work out perfectly for Bethany Hamilton. She had to confront her fear that surfing may not be her future. I loved the quote that I put at the beginning of this blog because we all have that thing. That thing that defines us in our minds. And we all need to learn that how we define ourselves is not how we are really defined.
My Lenten devotion today was based on Matthew 7, and was talking how at some point our actions will declare what kind of faith we really have. Verse 20 says, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
So no matter what labels I give myself (youth pastor, daughter, sister, friend, etc), what I am truly defined by is my actions, for example, how I treat those around me - especially those who don't like me or can do nothing for me and where I prioritize my time and money. And to be honest, when I really consider those things, I have a long way to go - especially when I think about where I spend my time and money.
Good thing God's not finished with me yet.
I watched the movie Soul Surfer today in preparation for the 30 hour famine. I'm not going to lie - I am always a little skeptical about "Christian" movies because I think they get into dangerous theology a lot of the time - give everything to God and God will give you what you wanted in the first place being the most common. And I know not all Christian movies fall into this category, but I have seen enough of these to be hesitant.
But I didn't find that to be true at all of Soul Surfer. Maybe because it was based on a true story, but things definitely did not work out perfectly for Bethany Hamilton. She had to confront her fear that surfing may not be her future. I loved the quote that I put at the beginning of this blog because we all have that thing. That thing that defines us in our minds. And we all need to learn that how we define ourselves is not how we are really defined.
My Lenten devotion today was based on Matthew 7, and was talking how at some point our actions will declare what kind of faith we really have. Verse 20 says, "Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions."
So no matter what labels I give myself (youth pastor, daughter, sister, friend, etc), what I am truly defined by is my actions, for example, how I treat those around me - especially those who don't like me or can do nothing for me and where I prioritize my time and money. And to be honest, when I really consider those things, I have a long way to go - especially when I think about where I spend my time and money.
Good thing God's not finished with me yet.
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