Well, this movie is not really new, but it’s very inspiring!
It’s about a girl (Olive - Emma Stone) who used to feel like an “outcast” in High School, and suddenly she decides to become “popular” in a not very good way!
She comes up with a lie saying that she had lost her virginity to a college guy, and everybody buys it.
Then, she creates a sequence of lies that puts her in a hard position, but it makes her “famous” though!
The film shows things that some people would do to be desired by many (or at least pretend to be!).
You know, I compared this concept to the necessity of “stardom”, or people who try their whole lives to be “icons”, “idols” and things like that!
I mean, why do we, sometimes, want to be seen as “important” people?
Why do we chase “gold medals”… Or why do we even chase “medals” (social positions)?
Why ain’t we Okay with being just ordinary unknown people having simple lives... Loving and being loved by the ones who are always at/on/by our side?
Is it because the media feeds this impulse that we already have inside of us? … The impulse, the need of being “yearned”, admired or worshiped, no matter what?
What’s with this “Glee” kinda feeling that involves us so much?
“For creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but because of the one who subjected it, in hope that creation itself would be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.” Romans 8:20, 21
What are we trying to show when we post pictures and videos of ourselves on the Internet, you know, singing, dancing and doing other things like that?
I ask myself these very questions every now and then!
The movie also questions this kind of posture (Internet exposure)… Like on Twitter, for example, where at some moments, we force ourselves to write “interesting things” to have an ‘audience’ and stuff like that. Do we really need to do that?
What are we trying to prove? And to whom? Aren’t we fine with who we already are? Do we need “fans” or “followers” to feel more comfortable with ourselves, with being ourselves?
There is a situation in the film where the parents of a girl’s boyfriend were facing a divorce… And this girl (* Marianne - Amanda Bynes), she “cried a river”… But she wasn’t really worried about the feelings of the people involved in the circumstance, so she said: “But they go to our church... What will people say?”
She was worried about how other people were gonna react to this “not perfect” event: the divorce of her boyfriend’s parents! She was worried about her ‘so-called’ reputation!
Sometimes, that’s exactly how we act, and we don’t even realize it.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1
You know, every human being has got natural issues to face in life… But these issues become way bigger and heavier when we pay too much attention to what other people think of us… And sometimes, we just imagine what they would think of us (* Like the girl in the movie), cause most of the time, people don’t even care! They’ve got their own daily issues to deal with, cause they are also human beings, just like everybody else.
“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” II Corinthians 4:7
“The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified.” Romans 8:16, 17, 28-30
So, what I am saying is that this film can be a Huge First Step to our Freedom… I mean, we’re not gonna live alone, become “monks” or anything, but we can pay more attention to what really matters in life: God’s Daily Gifts and His Values (Romans 1:20 and Philippians 4:8), for example… And the rest will “take care of itself”… Always!
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33
“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
If we Seek God First, He will Always give us what we need… And what we don’t need, He won’t give us cause it would totally destroy us! Especially the things that tend to take us out of the path of Jesus.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,’ declares the LORD, ‘and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.’” Jeremiah 29:11-14
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him. Fear the LORD, you His holy people, for those who fear Him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:7-10
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for Him.” Psalm 37:3-7 (Psalm 23 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23&version=NIV)
I’m not trying to be “a legalist” here, but I’m trying to be sincerely committed to The Biggest Truth in my Life: Jesus. … This reality broke me down (Thank God!) and made me write all these words.
It’s Not about me… It’s Never about me… It’s Always about Him, Our Savior, Jesus!
“Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:32, 36
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3
“I am the way and the Truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6
“He Is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross.” Colossians 1:17-20
“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:9, 10
“Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
You know, God didn’t say: go and try to convince everyone that you’re cool and you know a lot of stuff that many people don’t, so you can be admired for that!
No! Not at all!!
Jesus said: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In My name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” Mark 16:15-18
“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have One Teacher, and you are all brothers.” Matthew 23:8
“Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say.” I Corinthians 10:14, 15 ... “But let a man examine himself.” I Corinthians 11:28 (Psalm 139 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139&version=NIV)
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” I Corinthians 1:18
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, ‘Anyone who believes in Him will never be put to shame.’ For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved.’” Romans 10:9-13
“I am The Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I Am The Good Shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me—just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to My voice, and there shall be one flock and One Shepherd.” John 10:11-16 (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+23&version=NIV - Psalm 23)
Trust “Him”… This is The Truth… The rest… What a lot of people try to sell us… Is a bunch of ‘nothing’!
I see lots of people acting exactly the same way as I was doing till now… “Fighting” against Jesus, trying to be more important than He Is…
… Some even call themselves “The Good Shepherds” (John 10), this and that… And we all know that the end of this “motion” is a lot of regrets, don’t we? (Proverbs 16:18)
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-3 (Daniel 1:8, 9)
And what about me? (Paulo)
Well, I’m just a dude, an ordinary dude who was called with millions of other “dudes and dudettes” to tell everyone what God offers for free to the Whole World (Matthew 10:8)…
... Not through one or other religion, neither through a theology degree, but through His Word, The Bible… And through the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us after we receive Jesus as our Savior!
“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the Name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18
“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the Glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11 (John 1 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NIV and I Corinthians 3 - http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Corinthians+3&version=NIV)
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.” Romans 10:17
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.” John 6:63
Nothing and nobody will bring you closer to God than His Son, Jesus Christ!
“Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence.” Ephesians 3:12 (II Corinthians 5:17-21)
“For there is One God, and One Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” I Timothy 2:5, 6
“Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.' They replied, 'It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?' But the temple He had spoken of was His body.” John 2:19-21
“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything. Rather, He Himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.” Acts 17:24, 25
“But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if indeed we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope in which we glory.” Hebrews 3:6
“Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because ‘the righteous will live by faith.’” Galatians 3:11
“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us.” I John 1:8-10
“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:7-9
“He must become greater; I must become less.” John 3:30
“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time.” I Peter 5:6
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:15-17
“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:12, 26, 27
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6
“Test everything. Hold on to the good.” I Thessalonians 5:21
May God Bless Us All Always! In the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
“The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” I John 2:17
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