Yesterday I posted 20 Movie Night Questions, and today I’l be posting a devotional to go along with Movie Night. Be sure to stop back in tomorrow, and I’ll have a whole event theme of Movie Night ideas for you.
I personally love Movie Nights. And yes! I did just capitalize it because to me they are like holidays. They are fun! My daughter (the one that still lives at home) and I, have movie nights just by ourselves sometimes, but we have some family movie nights as well. When our kids were little, it was much easier. You know–you stick on the most recent kid movie and you’re good. But when they grow to adults, then getting something to watch that all the family will enjoy is just a little harder.
Okay, let’s get into that devotional. Shall we? Please take your seat. The devotional is about to begin. (Sorry. Couldn’t resist.)
Now Showing!
DEVOTIONAL
Julia Bettencourt
July 2, 2020
Today we are going to discuss movies, and when you think about it, movies are stories. Even those documentaries are really stories about particular objects, things, and sometimes people. All movies in the end make up a story. So today, let’s talk about our story. What’s showing? Where are we going with it? How do you think it is going to end?
As Christians, we really have to pay attention to our own “movie” making process. We have to pay attention to the story of our lives. Ultimately the Lord is in charge and holds the world in His hands, but we are the director on the set of our individual lives. We make the daily choices. We call the shots to our own lives. We are the one that picks what’s in the frame. We choose the way we want the action and movement of our lives to go. God gives us freewill. And in the end, our lives are a culmination of choices that we make. We are responsible individually for how our story is told.
Lights. Camera. Action.
I’m sure you have all heard that phrase. It’s that old call before a take in a movie. Can’t you just hear someone in your head saying it very loudly?
“Lights! Camera! Action!”
I really don’t think it’s used now, but at one time it was. It’s the basic three things entailed when beginning a movie shoot, although there are lots of other things involved too, but these are the highlights and was the cue to get the process of a scene moving.
Lights
First of all, most of us probably all know that lights in movies are important. They lighten up the dark spots of course, but they do other things. They highlight various things on the film set. They set moods. They give an ambiance. They even have a way of making the actors look better.
Light is important to a Christian too. We have to be those shining examples of love in order to share Christ to a dying world.
“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV)
Face it, many people know about how in photos a person looks better in different lighting. Ever played with filters on your phone for your photos? Part of it is about the manipulation of colors but it also about how the light filters in on the photo. It changes how you look or how the subject of the photo looks. A filter can make you look beautiful just by the colors and lighting settings.
As Christians, we should be the pretty people. Our best sides should show. I am not talking about looking beautiful on the outside because of our features and all that, but as Christians, we should be beautiful people. It should start in our hearts and filter out through our actions. The light we shine forth matters! Kindness, love, and concern is part of that mood lighting that we need for others to stop, take notice, and take our story for Christ seriously.
Camera
The camera in the movies is what captures all the action that takes place. What is our action as a Christian? Well, it’s all those things that make up how we live and act daily. Those things are what are going to be picked up in the frame.
When we are on the set, or when we get up in the mornings, as Believers, we should be putting on those fruits of the Spirit. Our wardrobe has love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control in it, and we are to wear them for every scene of life.
Those fruits are in Galatians 5:22-23, and most Christians have those memorized, but do you know the next two verses in that chapter?
“And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.” Galaians 5:24-25 (KJV)
As Christians, we are always before the camera. We are before the world. People are always watching us, observing our story. What are they seeing? I’m sure we all have things that never should have gotten in the shot so to speak. That’s why it is so important to let that light shine and live and walk in grace and show grace to others.
What do people want to see when they watch a movie? They want to see the actors being genuine. That’s what we need to be in life and before the camera. We need to genuinely care and love other people. We don’t have the luxury of just putting on an act.
Action
Action in the movies is the go word for the actors to recite their lines and do all the things that their character has in the script. What about us as Christians? We do have a script to follow. We have the Bible that shows us how our lives should be led. It shows us all the action we are to take on a daily basis.
Is our life making a believable story as a Christian? Life is not just a performance. It’s not just a movie. It’s not just a game. How we live is how we shine that light that I mentioned earlier. We need people to see Christ in and through us. It’s how we draw people to the Lord.
Have you ever seen those big scenes in movies where the actor walks away from the burning fire? Maybe you have seen clips of Mission Impossible where Tom Cruise is walking away with the fire twenty feet in the air above him. It’s all about the big explosions that are packed into those dramatic scenes. The actor walks away with that straight face with the glow of the huge fire burning behind him. He’s done his hero work. He’s either knocked out the bad guys, destroyed the alien, or brought down a monster.
We can have those big scenes too. Love is that explosion that we can bring in the path of the bad things in life. We can toss love around and cause some big scenes. Love can have some huge special effects. Love can mend broken hearts. Love can change attitudes. Love can heal marriages. Love can give people hope.
When we as Christians walk away from situations, from people, or when we just walk down the street—love should be what we leave in our wake. It should be burning bright. It should be doing it’s job to make a better world. The thing is, we have to put that love out there. The fuse has to be lit in order for that love to permeate and grow into those burning swells that can change people’s lives.
We have to remember that love is patient. Love is kind, and all those other things mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13. Love is action and when we forget it as a Christian, our performance in life is lacking. Look what Paul says in that first verse of 1 Corinthians 13.
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” 1 Corinthians 13:1 (KJV)
Our action as a Christian is an integral part of the big picture.
Conclusion
We have a story to tell. Some things in the plot have already taken place. There is nothing we can change there, but the direction we take from here on out—that we can change. That we can improve. That we can do some rewrites on before our “movie” of our life gets way off course and ends up flopping.
We have to allow that light of Christ to glow through us. We have to allow the Lord to soften us with His love so we can in turn show it to others. We have to follow the Word of God and take the right kind of action in our lives, because in the end, that is what shows to the world.
When the plot begins to build in a movie and all that action begins to take place—When the actors say their lines—When the actors move and do their parts—When all the extra things begin falling into place in those scenes—It there and then that as movie watchers, we are drawn into the story.
Are we drawing people into our story? Are we portraying our Christian life like we should? Our role is to be like the character that we are portraying before the camera. If we say we are a a follower of Christ, we should act like one.
So, if someone gave a review on your Christian life, how many stars would you get?
Thanks for stopping in.
Creative blessings,
Julia
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. So thanks for checking out the below Amazon products. See my advertising policy here.
FIND ALL OF MY DEVOTIONAL COLLECTIONS ON AMAZON
Please follow my Author Page on Amazon here!
