“Each time he said, ‘My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.’ So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (2 Cor. 12:9-10, NLT).
For all you movie fans out there (and even if you’re not, I hope you keep reading) I’d like to quickly break down the structure of a typical SCREENPLAY.
ACT I is the first 25% of the movie. This is where we get to know the main character, the protagonist, and learn what their goals are. Then, there is the First Plot Point. This is where the action changes and the protagonist’s path in pursuit of their goal is completely turned upside down.
Next comes ACT II, the middle 50% of the movie. The protagonist must work through all the obstacles that life throws at them in order to get back onto the path toward their original goal. The Second Plot Point comes at the end of this act and is where the protagonist has reached their breaking point. They realize that their goal is unachievable. In fact, they are worse off than when the movie began. They have no way out. Life might as well be over!
Last comes ACT III, the last 25% of the movie. It is in this final sequence of scenes that the protagonist summons up everything they have experienced and learned during the tumultuous course of their journey and are able to apply these lessons to figure out that, though their original goal has changed, they are now better off and stronger of character than they ever thought possible. THE END! Nice and neat.
How often have we found our journey in life going off track? How many unfulfilled goals do we have because life got in the way? How much hurt has beaten us down? How much despair has crippled our spirits? How many times have we been backed into a corner and found that we simply don’t have enough fight left in us to survive?
This is when we find ourselves at the Second Plot Point of our own movie. All seems lost. Jesus, however, is our ACT III. Sometimes it takes us getting to the point of NOT BEING ABLE TO RELY ON OURSELVES that we can finally PUT OUR COMPLETE TRUST IN THE STRENGTH OF CHRIST!
When all seems lost, or at least, we’ve become miserable in the pursuit of our own will, maybe God is trying to change our goals, give us a new purpose, and redirect our lives for a BETTER ENDING.
Sometimes we have to realize that when our plan isn’t working, maybe it’s time to change course and realize that we’ve been standing in the way of realizing God’s will for us and the strength He’s given us to actually follow His will.
We know that life can be stranger than fiction. And unlike REEL Life, REAL Life can be beyond the challenge of our capabilities. But real life is never beyond the capability of Jesus Christ!
David McCall
Executive Pastor
