December 16, 2009
Have you ever seen a trailer for a movie and thought that it looks like a good movie, only to go see it and realize it’s horrible? All the best bits of the movie were put into the trailer – three minutes of good, two hours of bad. A con job. A rip off. The trailer really didn’t communicate the true content of the movie. The trailer was really just a phony sales pitch to get you to buy in.
I have a friend who was “living the life” before he gave his life to Christ. He was doing everything the world tells us will satisfy. Lots of money. Lots of power. Lots of woman. It was supposed to be a good movie. As he was telling me his story he said, “The trailer for that movie was good, but I’ve played the movie through and there is nothing desirable in it. It is filled with ruin, heartache and failure.”
What is the trailer that the enemy is enticing you with right now? More money and everything will be great? If I could just get that new house, or that new job, or that promotion everything would be great? If I divorce my wife I will finally be free to be happy and live in peace? If I don’t get too involved in pornography, but only fall into it once in a while, then it should be ok? Right? Wrong.
The enemy tries to convince us with a masterfully crafted trailer that everything will be good, or better if only we…(fill in the blank with whatever may be occupying your heart right now.) Make sure you play the movie through in your head and see where it’s leading. What will the ending be like? If the ending to the movie is not a loving relationship with your Heavenly Father as a beloved son, filled with the Holy Spirit and with faith, courageously walking in God’s heart for you and others in all the freedom, hope, life and joy that Jesus has bought for us, then it’s not a good movie. Bottom line: if the movie doesn’t lead to loving God and others more, then don’t go there. If it doesn’t lead to God’s Kingdom in you and through you, then the trailer isn’t telling the whole story.
Don’t be enticed by the phony trailer. Believe that what God says is true. God tells us that sin leads to death. The enemy tells us that sin leads to pleasure. The Lord tells us that He has life for us. The enemy tells us that God’s plan is too hard, too sacrificial, too painful and impossible. Do you want to know where God’s movie is going? Read Isaiah 61:1-3. Jesus read this at the beginning of His ministry and said this is what He is all about: hope, healing, freedom, vision, blessing, victory, comfort, beauty, gladness, praise, righteousness and God’s glory. Sounds good to me.
Don’t get taken in by the enemy’s phony trailer – his is a bad movie.
Romans 6:23
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our lord..”.
Strength and courage,
David