May 19, 2008

Facing the Giants

We watched the movie Facing the Giants on cable Saturday night.

Last year the movie did pretty well in the box office, and was newsworthy because of its overtly Christian themes. It’s a story about a high school football coach wrestling with trusting God in the midst of another losing season and personal heartache.

I thought the writers did a good job of focusing on the the spiritual dimension of various characters throughout the story line. Good emphasis was made on the importance giving God priority in your life. The theology was mostly on target.

As far as realism goes, the movie missed the mark. I suppose few movies are really realistic. In the film, when the characters began trusting Christ, the circumstances in life started changing for the better. The team started winning. His wife, who was infertile for years, got pregnant, and kicker hit a 55-yard field goal when he’d never made more than a 35-yarder before.

What’s missing is the fact that life rarely turns out this rosy even if you are a Believer. Faith in Jesus Christ doesn’t mean your problems go away. It means you have someone to go through your hard times with you. This truth is often misunderstood, especially when lots of TBN preachers say that living for Jesus takes all your problems away. It’s just not true. Jesus said, “I’ve told you this so that my peace will be with you. In the world you’ll have trouble. But cheer up! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).