Daily Thought for Thursday, February 24th

February 24, 2011

Movie Ministry (Part Four)

(This like the Rock and Roll Series is not intended to offend but rather to use a little different tactic to provoke us towards greater strides in our spiritual life.)

Finding a Spiritual Message in “Gone With The Wind”

Today’s Thought:

“There is, of course, a difference between what one seizes and what one really possesses.” – Pearl S. Buck from “What America Means to Me”

And (Job) said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.- The Bible (Job 1:21)

Today’s Question

Did you know that Jesus didn’t own land or a house; all he had were the clothes on his back and even they were gambled away, at his crucifixion?

Today’s Spiritual Thought:

A classic; and some consider an epic film, “Gone with the Wind” based on the novel by the same name written by Margaret Mitchell; was directed by Victor Fleming in 1939 and featured in her debut role as Scarlet O’Hara, Vivian Leigh.

This film is set during the time frame of the Civil War in which Scarlet looses most everything she treasures when Tara is ransacked, looted and burned to the ground.  Much of this film is about loss; for the main character.  She even losses the man she most desires when Ashley Wilkes marries Melanie Hamilton.  Of course we know Scarlet goes on to marry Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable; but she is never really happy.

What does this movie have for us, of a spiritual nature, to glean from it?

There are probably many things we could take from this film to make spiritual applications of; but the one I want us to focus on is this: “You can’t take it with you.”

Sometimes, as was the case for Scarlet, she couldn’t even hold onto it while she was here.

The important lesson for us to take from this film, spiritually speaking, is earthly treasures, and even relationships can fade away, disappear and not last, but those things that are of an eternal nature last forever.  Those things we cherish that are spiritual in nature; like our relationships with our Heavenly Father and our Elder Brother, Jesus, will last forever.  Those acts and deeds we do that have spiritual significance and are treasured in Heaven will carry with us to our eternal reward.

Witnessing, ministering for God’s glory, sharing our faith, praying, hiding God’s word in our heart – these things will last.

Houses, cars, jobs, and the like will fade away and even if we hold on to them till our dying day, we can’t take them with us.

What we can take is the testimony and the evidence of the life we lived and if we live a life focused on spiritual things having eternal significance then we will have a great treasure when we reach the other side.

Today’s Verses:

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matthew 6:19-21

Today’s Prayer:

Father, help me keep things in perspective, remembering what is important and cherishing those things that will follow me into eternity; rather than being obsessed with temporal things that I will have to leave behind.

(Tune in tomorrow as we look for Spiritual meaning in ‘Peter Pan.’)