Jumanji Teaches Who We Are in Christ
Well... I'm starting a blog. I thought we needed another one to add to the 500+ million blogs to choose from on this planet already. Someday, I'll blog about why I'm blogging, but for now, that's enough use of the word "blog" in my first 3 sentences. Let's get to it!
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle
But first, let's catch up anyone who hasn't seen the movie. *NOTE!: There are spoilers in this blog. I tried to avoid them at first, but it's been almost 2.5 years now, with a sequel, so I'm moving forward with the spoilers.* A group of teenagers has been sucked into a video game called Jumanji after picking their player characters. It's important to note that the teens have never played this game before, and don't know anything about it, so they pick their characters randomly. In fact, when one of the teens wonders out loud which character to pick, one of the other teens - Spencer - says, "I don't know; I don't think it matters that much." Little do any of them know that nothing could be further from the truth. Now ... take note that it's an understatement to say that Spencer is not the most confident of the group, but he is great at video games! Spencer picks Dr. Bravestone.
Dr. Bravestone's character is practically opposite of who Spencer is in real life. Actually, what's great about this movie is that this is true of all the characters compared to the person playing them. Bethany is obsessed with her body, and she picks an overweight middle-aged man. Martha is introverted and shy and picks Ruby Roundhouse, "Killer of Men." And Fridge is super full of himself and ends up as a sidekick half his height in real life. I love movies with life lessons, and the fact that the characters are dealt a "different hand" to see their world from a new perspective is a key element of this movie.
Our focus is on Dr. Bravestone, who's name practically tells us who his character is: "Brave" (obviously) and "Stone" - which reminds us of something resolute and solid (unless there is a mudslide or major weathering, but this isn't a science blog, so moving on). So let's check out that picture. His top listed strength is "fearless," and his weaknesses are none! Literally ... the list says "none." If you're past the age of six, you most likely identify when Spencer reads through his list for the first time and says, "Weakness...NONE?!"
To put this in greater perspective - as if we needed it - all the other characters have at least one weakness. Franklin "Mouse" Finbar is a zoologist, and his weaknesses are speed, strength, and wierdly enough, cake. His character is played by Kevin Hart, and I always laugh (I've seen this movie many times) when he first sees his list, and he says, "I hate this game....How is strength my weakness?!" You're tempted to feel sorry for him, except let's reiterate the fact that the real life player who picked his character actually needed some humbling.
These characters must - obviously, like all video games - meet a certain goal to win the game, so after a bit of a rough patch, they learn to team up and use their strengths to their advantage, and help each other in their weaknesses. Dr. Bravestone leads the pack, because, well, obviously. But also remember Spencer is an expert video game player in real life, so he brings this "strength," so to speak, from the real world.
If you want to get a better visual of the scene I am writing about, here's a clip, you can watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PMXn9BZ4lc
READ BEFORE YOU WATCH: This scene shows Ruby Roundhouse in a midriff top (this is her character's outfit the entire movie), the phrase "this sucks" is used (as they almost get killed 3 times before reaching the crocodiles), and at the very end of the scene, it looks like homosexuality could be hinted at, but it isn't because - remember - a teenage girl (Bethany) is actually playing the character of Professor Sheldon Oberon - a man. For anyone who feels these elements might be a stumbling block to them, I wanted to give that notice, and you don't have to watch this to get the points we're about to review. But it's here as reference point for the topic at hand. You can also just watch 1:10 - 1:50 and get the gist without the rest of most of what I mentioned.
Let's break this down, remembering we're observing what fearless "looks like." When I watch it, I see Dr. Bravestone do three things very purposely in about two seconds flat. He looks down at the threat, he focuses in on his destination, and then he crosses. Let's break these down, applying them to us when dealing with fear:
1. He acknowledges the threat: Crocodiles...hungry ones...I wish I didn't have to face this.
He didn't ignore the threat was real, even in a video game. Faith isn't saying a problem doesn't exist. It doesn't pretend the facts aren't so. It doesn't even deny feelings. We need to acknowledge the threat to our peace - often out loud - to face it head on. Like this: "I see you. I realize what you're trying to do (steal my peace, cause on confusion, make me "back up," make me doubt, etc.)."
2. He acknowledges the truth: I can do this.
First thing to note is that facts aren't truth, at least not in God's kindgom. You can have just lost your job (fact), but God says he will supply your needs (truth). You can receive a diagnosis (fact), but God's word says that by the stripes of Jesus you were already healed (truth). What are the threats (facts) coming at you today? What does God's word say about you and your situation (truth)?
After he looks down, Dr. Bravestone then looks across to his destination, staring for about a second before crossing. My take is that, in that one second, he decided within himself, "I'm Bravestone, and this is who I am." It sounds redundant, but it also sounds a lot like God, in Exodus 3:14, when he says, "I AM THAT I AM." Bravestone didn't allow time for wavering, second guessing, extra opinions, and he never spoke one word. Bravestone knows who he is; God knows who he is. Do we know who we are?
Furthermore, do we know who God is, or do we just think we know? Are we uncertain? (More on this at the bottom of this post.)
For Bravestone, his confidence came from who his character was created to be, and he was true to who he was. Obviously, this is a video game and we are in real life. The difference is that God gives us fearlessness in our "character package," but he won't "play us." He won't do our part, but he does enable us. Our built in character package is not OUR strength or character, but rather as we discussed already, God's character package built into us through Jesus Christ. We were Spencer, and then Bravestone moved into our spirit man, and we died to Spencer and came alive to Christ (Romans 6:11). Here are three great scriptures to meditate on and build up your faith: Jesus says apart from him, we can do nothing, so we abide in him and vice versa (John 15:5). Then God's word says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). And finally, "Thanks be unto God, which always causes us to [leads us in] triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14). These are truths for a believer.
3. He ACTS! He walks across the board. He acts from his belief. Single most important thing right here as a take away! Faith moves from just belief to action, because what you believe drives your action. It is the marrying of the two. This is where the TEMPTATION to fear becomes either "taken captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) or we give in and become the captive. What if Dr. Bravestone and his team had not crossed because of fear of what could go wrong? They would have failed the game for sure. With the DECISION to cross, they at least had a chance. And in real life, Jesus with and in us, all things are possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23). Romans 8:31 reads, "If God be for us, who can be against us," and in verse 37 we are called "more than conquerors."
In conclusion, it's safe to say Dr. Bravestone sized up in his mind what he was up against, even though we don't know exactly what he felt. But here's the thing - in the end, he ACTED from who he believed he was (his player's character - Dr. Bravestone), and the sobering truth is, we do too. Whether we know it or not, we all act every day from what we believe. Dr. Bravestone knew he could accomplish his goal, and his decision to do just that took no longer than two seconds. He didn't allow himself to become double-minded, and honestly there wasn't a lot of drama. To be transparent, I am still asking the Holy Spirit to help me with being less dramatic and more decisive. Sometimes, I'm very decisive, and other times, I hem haw. ("Hem haw" means "dilly dally." If you don't know what either of those phrases means, that's what search engines are for nowadays...You can look up "nowadays" too if you want.)
Let's sum this up! We are called to be the most fearless people on Planet Earth! Regardless of what the facts are, we are to focus in on truth of who we are because of Christ in us, and what his word says about us. So it's very, very important you know who you, because this is where your freedom lies, and also, because you are an ambassador for Christ with a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). As the boy in the marketplace says excitedly, "Dr. Bravestone, Thank goodness you're here! Jumanji needs you!" We want people to say this to us when we show up on the scene. The world is calling us to bring hope, life, and the light of Christ. They may not know what - or who rather - they are calling out for, but God hears the cries of their hearts, and HE is calling us very purposely. That voice, that call, is worth pressing into, to overcome fear and finish well. We will continue discussing in posts to come.
_________________________________
End Note: It's okay to admit you're not sure exactly what you believe. This is part of growth and hitting things head on, as discussed in this post. This blog was birthed from a place of honesty. We will be exploring the character of God in coming posts, and who we are in Christ more, which may surprisingly answer a number of questions about other topics. If you have questions, good. Hang in there - Seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7). Peace and Blessings.
For my first post EVER, I want to talk about this dude! No, not Dwayne Johnson. I mean, yes, that's Dwayne Johnson, but for our purposes, he's a "famed archaeologist and international explorer, known across the seven continents for [his] courageous exploits." That's how Nigel Billingsley describes him, and if you've seen Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, you know who I'm talking about. That's right - The Great DR. BRAVESTONE!
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle
Creator: Frank Masi_SMPSP
Copyright: © 2017 CTMG, Inc.
But first, let's catch up anyone who hasn't seen the movie. *NOTE!: There are spoilers in this blog. I tried to avoid them at first, but it's been almost 2.5 years now, with a sequel, so I'm moving forward with the spoilers.* A group of teenagers has been sucked into a video game called Jumanji after picking their player characters. It's important to note that the teens have never played this game before, and don't know anything about it, so they pick their characters randomly. In fact, when one of the teens wonders out loud which character to pick, one of the other teens - Spencer - says, "I don't know; I don't think it matters that much." Little do any of them know that nothing could be further from the truth. Now ... take note that it's an understatement to say that Spencer is not the most confident of the group, but he is great at video games! Spencer picks Dr. Bravestone.
Dr. Bravestone's character is practically opposite of who Spencer is in real life. Actually, what's great about this movie is that this is true of all the characters compared to the person playing them. Bethany is obsessed with her body, and she picks an overweight middle-aged man. Martha is introverted and shy and picks Ruby Roundhouse, "Killer of Men." And Fridge is super full of himself and ends up as a sidekick half his height in real life. I love movies with life lessons, and the fact that the characters are dealt a "different hand" to see their world from a new perspective is a key element of this movie.
Our focus is on Dr. Bravestone, who's name practically tells us who his character is: "Brave" (obviously) and "Stone" - which reminds us of something resolute and solid (unless there is a mudslide or major weathering, but this isn't a science blog, so moving on). So let's check out that picture. His top listed strength is "fearless," and his weaknesses are none! Literally ... the list says "none." If you're past the age of six, you most likely identify when Spencer reads through his list for the first time and says, "Weakness...NONE?!"
To put this in greater perspective - as if we needed it - all the other characters have at least one weakness. Franklin "Mouse" Finbar is a zoologist, and his weaknesses are speed, strength, and wierdly enough, cake. His character is played by Kevin Hart, and I always laugh (I've seen this movie many times) when he first sees his list, and he says, "I hate this game....How is strength my weakness?!" You're tempted to feel sorry for him, except let's reiterate the fact that the real life player who picked his character actually needed some humbling.
These characters must - obviously, like all video games - meet a certain goal to win the game, so after a bit of a rough patch, they learn to team up and use their strengths to their advantage, and help each other in their weaknesses. Dr. Bravestone leads the pack, because, well, obviously. But also remember Spencer is an expert video game player in real life, so he brings this "strength," so to speak, from the real world.
Having mapped out the background and characters of the movie, let's zoom in on a particular scene in the movie where the players - in order to move on in the game - must cross a crocodile pit using only a wooden plank. Each player handles this experience differently depending on his character traits. They have someone to help them across, but when it comes time for Dr. Bravestone to cross, he walks across with shoulders back and no hesitation or words, and looking right past the help. In fact, it causes the person offering help to watch him walk away, in wonderment.
PAUSE HERE. I'm getting to my point: This is a great picture of who we are in Jesus Christ. When I say this, I am referring to who we are in our spirit (often called the spirit man). Note: It's important to know that I'm talking specifically to Christ followers today when I say "you are." If you don't know Jesus Christ, you are actually meant and designed for this as well, so I'm inviting you to stick with me. This post is welcome to all!
I don't think I have to explain to Christians that who we are in our spirit is not always what comes out through our natural man, because often times, people don't realize who they are in Christ and know how to apply truth. Or another reason is because the natural man isn't being brought under subjection to the spirit man. But whatever the reason, it doesn't change who you truly are and how God sees you. For the sake of illustration, you were Spencer, and when you came alive to Christ, it's like Bravestone moved in. I'm not trying to be irreverent to the Spirit of Christ, but rather making a point. Jesus often spoke in parables using symbolism (See Luke 13:18-21). When you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, you were in fact made a new creation: "...[I]f any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The "new you" comes with a "character package," and guess what? It's the same package Jesus has, because it's His spirit dwelling in you. At the top of that package is fearless(ness) because of the acceptance and love we now have in Christ Jesus. Perfect loves gets rid of fear (1 John 4:18).
Regardless of how you feel or where you are in life, or what you see with your natural eyes, pause again and really let that sink in. We were not created to walk in, live in, get comfy with, or be controlled by fear. At all. Ever. We are going to unpack this more in coming posts, but here is scripture to chew on: 2 Timothy 1:7 - "...God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." When I say chew on it, I mean like a piece of tough meat that you gotta really work on, because that's not a statement that has any wiggle room.
So...Question. What does this mean in everyday application? Well, it means we will feel fear at times trying to TEMPT us, but we are not to CHOOSE to let it have the final say. Let's look back to Dr. Bravestone to help with this application. What DOES "Fearless" look like? Did Dr. Bravestone feel fear before crossing the pit? First of all, feeling fear or having fearful thoughts enter your mind is not the same as choosing to give in to fear. This is the first trap of the enemy of your soul to keep you feeling weak, and then condemned, and then useless, so let's settle that and shake it off. That's a lie. You would be non-human if you never felt fear try to come into your thoughts and/or feelings. It just means you are in a battle, but who wins is up to you. Also, you might not struggle with it as much as you grow, just like a muscle that is strengthened, but we all "deal with" fear at times.
I don't think I have to explain to Christians that who we are in our spirit is not always what comes out through our natural man, because often times, people don't realize who they are in Christ and know how to apply truth. Or another reason is because the natural man isn't being brought under subjection to the spirit man. But whatever the reason, it doesn't change who you truly are and how God sees you. For the sake of illustration, you were Spencer, and when you came alive to Christ, it's like Bravestone moved in. I'm not trying to be irreverent to the Spirit of Christ, but rather making a point. Jesus often spoke in parables using symbolism (See Luke 13:18-21). When you asked Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord, you were in fact made a new creation: "...[I]f any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The "new you" comes with a "character package," and guess what? It's the same package Jesus has, because it's His spirit dwelling in you. At the top of that package is fearless(ness) because of the acceptance and love we now have in Christ Jesus. Perfect loves gets rid of fear (1 John 4:18).
Regardless of how you feel or where you are in life, or what you see with your natural eyes, pause again and really let that sink in. We were not created to walk in, live in, get comfy with, or be controlled by fear. At all. Ever. We are going to unpack this more in coming posts, but here is scripture to chew on: 2 Timothy 1:7 - "...God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." When I say chew on it, I mean like a piece of tough meat that you gotta really work on, because that's not a statement that has any wiggle room.
So...Question. What does this mean in everyday application? Well, it means we will feel fear at times trying to TEMPT us, but we are not to CHOOSE to let it have the final say. Let's look back to Dr. Bravestone to help with this application. What DOES "Fearless" look like? Did Dr. Bravestone feel fear before crossing the pit? First of all, feeling fear or having fearful thoughts enter your mind is not the same as choosing to give in to fear. This is the first trap of the enemy of your soul to keep you feeling weak, and then condemned, and then useless, so let's settle that and shake it off. That's a lie. You would be non-human if you never felt fear try to come into your thoughts and/or feelings. It just means you are in a battle, but who wins is up to you. Also, you might not struggle with it as much as you grow, just like a muscle that is strengthened, but we all "deal with" fear at times.
If you want to get a better visual of the scene I am writing about, here's a clip, you can watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PMXn9BZ4lc
READ BEFORE YOU WATCH: This scene shows Ruby Roundhouse in a midriff top (this is her character's outfit the entire movie), the phrase "this sucks" is used (as they almost get killed 3 times before reaching the crocodiles), and at the very end of the scene, it looks like homosexuality could be hinted at, but it isn't because - remember - a teenage girl (Bethany) is actually playing the character of Professor Sheldon Oberon - a man. For anyone who feels these elements might be a stumbling block to them, I wanted to give that notice, and you don't have to watch this to get the points we're about to review. But it's here as reference point for the topic at hand. You can also just watch 1:10 - 1:50 and get the gist without the rest of most of what I mentioned.
Let's break this down, remembering we're observing what fearless "looks like." When I watch it, I see Dr. Bravestone do three things very purposely in about two seconds flat. He looks down at the threat, he focuses in on his destination, and then he crosses. Let's break these down, applying them to us when dealing with fear:
1. He acknowledges the threat: Crocodiles...hungry ones...I wish I didn't have to face this.
He didn't ignore the threat was real, even in a video game. Faith isn't saying a problem doesn't exist. It doesn't pretend the facts aren't so. It doesn't even deny feelings. We need to acknowledge the threat to our peace - often out loud - to face it head on. Like this: "I see you. I realize what you're trying to do (steal my peace, cause on confusion, make me "back up," make me doubt, etc.)."
2. He acknowledges the truth: I can do this.
First thing to note is that facts aren't truth, at least not in God's kindgom. You can have just lost your job (fact), but God says he will supply your needs (truth). You can receive a diagnosis (fact), but God's word says that by the stripes of Jesus you were already healed (truth). What are the threats (facts) coming at you today? What does God's word say about you and your situation (truth)?
After he looks down, Dr. Bravestone then looks across to his destination, staring for about a second before crossing. My take is that, in that one second, he decided within himself, "I'm Bravestone, and this is who I am." It sounds redundant, but it also sounds a lot like God, in Exodus 3:14, when he says, "I AM THAT I AM." Bravestone didn't allow time for wavering, second guessing, extra opinions, and he never spoke one word. Bravestone knows who he is; God knows who he is. Do we know who we are?
Furthermore, do we know who God is, or do we just think we know? Are we uncertain? (More on this at the bottom of this post.)
For Bravestone, his confidence came from who his character was created to be, and he was true to who he was. Obviously, this is a video game and we are in real life. The difference is that God gives us fearlessness in our "character package," but he won't "play us." He won't do our part, but he does enable us. Our built in character package is not OUR strength or character, but rather as we discussed already, God's character package built into us through Jesus Christ. We were Spencer, and then Bravestone moved into our spirit man, and we died to Spencer and came alive to Christ (Romans 6:11). Here are three great scriptures to meditate on and build up your faith: Jesus says apart from him, we can do nothing, so we abide in him and vice versa (John 15:5). Then God's word says, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13). And finally, "Thanks be unto God, which always causes us to [leads us in] triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14). These are truths for a believer.
3. He ACTS! He walks across the board. He acts from his belief. Single most important thing right here as a take away! Faith moves from just belief to action, because what you believe drives your action. It is the marrying of the two. This is where the TEMPTATION to fear becomes either "taken captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5) or we give in and become the captive. What if Dr. Bravestone and his team had not crossed because of fear of what could go wrong? They would have failed the game for sure. With the DECISION to cross, they at least had a chance. And in real life, Jesus with and in us, all things are possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23). Romans 8:31 reads, "If God be for us, who can be against us," and in verse 37 we are called "more than conquerors."
In conclusion, it's safe to say Dr. Bravestone sized up in his mind what he was up against, even though we don't know exactly what he felt. But here's the thing - in the end, he ACTED from who he believed he was (his player's character - Dr. Bravestone), and the sobering truth is, we do too. Whether we know it or not, we all act every day from what we believe. Dr. Bravestone knew he could accomplish his goal, and his decision to do just that took no longer than two seconds. He didn't allow himself to become double-minded, and honestly there wasn't a lot of drama. To be transparent, I am still asking the Holy Spirit to help me with being less dramatic and more decisive. Sometimes, I'm very decisive, and other times, I hem haw. ("Hem haw" means "dilly dally." If you don't know what either of those phrases means, that's what search engines are for nowadays...You can look up "nowadays" too if you want.)
Let's sum this up! We are called to be the most fearless people on Planet Earth! Regardless of what the facts are, we are to focus in on truth of who we are because of Christ in us, and what his word says about us. So it's very, very important you know who you, because this is where your freedom lies, and also, because you are an ambassador for Christ with a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). As the boy in the marketplace says excitedly, "Dr. Bravestone, Thank goodness you're here! Jumanji needs you!" We want people to say this to us when we show up on the scene. The world is calling us to bring hope, life, and the light of Christ. They may not know what - or who rather - they are calling out for, but God hears the cries of their hearts, and HE is calling us very purposely. That voice, that call, is worth pressing into, to overcome fear and finish well. We will continue discussing in posts to come.
_________________________________
End Note: It's okay to admit you're not sure exactly what you believe. This is part of growth and hitting things head on, as discussed in this post. This blog was birthed from a place of honesty. We will be exploring the character of God in coming posts, and who we are in Christ more, which may surprisingly answer a number of questions about other topics. If you have questions, good. Hang in there - Seek and you shall find (Matthew 7:7). Peace and Blessings.
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