What movie have you watched more times than any other?
Personally, I have seen The Sandlot and Top Gun more than any other films. The Sandlot was my favorite movie as a kid. While I didn’t have a super ugly fish hat, my friends nicknamed me Scottie like the main character and I played baseball every day in my neighborhood.
In college, it seemed like Top Gun was on cable every day when I came home from classes. I watched so many different sections of it in the dorm rooms of my buddies. Just the first few chords of Kenny Loggins’ "Danger Zone" gets me going!
I asked some of my friends this very question recently and one of them said It’s a Wonderful Life. While not my favorite Christmas movie (that will remain Elf forever), I can see why this movie means so much to my friend.
If you don’t remember the plot, George Bailey is ready to give up, as everything that can go wrong for him has gone wrong - with his business, his family, and his dreams for the future. As an answer to his prayer and through an angel named Clarence, George gets a gift that none of us ever will. He gets to witness what life would look like for those around him if he had never been born.
Every one of us have asked ourselves at some point, “What’s my purpose?” But, some of us have gone a step further and asked, “What difference has my life really made?” Even fewer of us, in a dark season, have wondered, “Would anyone miss me if I was gone?”
That final question is the one George Bailey gets clearly answered in It’s a Wonderful Life.
I thought about the connection between that movie and one of Air 1’s most popular songs recently. River Valley AGES goes on their own George Bailey like adventure in their song, "Everything U Do." The first line of the chorus is their reflection after looking back in their past like Bailey did. The chorus begins: “I'd be lost if it was not for You.”
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At the beginning of the song, we hear how the band has looked back in the past and seen the difference Jesus made.
“Young and reckless
I was on my own
But longing to belong
A shadow wishing for the light”
They’ve considered where they were and what they were longing for before they met Jesus. We often spend our time focusing on life with Jesus and life after meeting Jesus, but there’s power in remembering life before Jesus.
They continue by considering how they met Jesus and the work Jesus did in rescuing them and transforming them as new creations.
“I was drifting
When You found my heart
A heavenly restart
And Still it takes my breath away.”
It’s that final line though which I think few of us experience but many of us long to feel. Has your experience with God ever taken your breath away? Does your own testimony take your breath away?
If not, then maybe it’s time to become familiar again with what Jesus has done in your life. The passion we have for Jesus in the present and the future is often a direct reflection of the wonder we have over what Jesus has done in our past.
This is certainly the case with the Apostle Paul.
“Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith…I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault. I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him.”
After I read this passage from Philippians 3 and I listened to "Everything U Do" again, I thought about how we might do a similar exercise. If it’s been a long time since God’s work in your life took your breath away, here’s what I encourage you to do.
Get a piece of paper or open your Notes app. Respond to the following three prompts.
1. “Where was I when I met Jesus?” If you were a child when you first put your faith in Jesus, you might also want to consider a time when you made a major mistake, had a crisis of faith, or felt very distant from God because of your circumstances. Reconnect to what you felt at that time and what was happening when Jesus’ power and presence met you.
2. “Pull a George Bailey. Imagine your life if you hadn’t met Jesus and if He had not been at work in your life in those moments.” Instead of imagining life without you, imagine life without Jesus walking with you. How would some of life’s biggest moments have gone if you were on your own?
3. “In what ways does God deserve praise for how He has worked in your life?” In River Valley’s chorus, they sing,
If you would only sing God’s praise, what specifically would you praise Him for? I have found that wonder and awe come from specific experiences and specific memories, not general memories or vibes.
As I write this, I am praying for you. I am praying that your reflections on God’s work in your life would overwhelm you with awe, wonder, and worship. May considering what He’s done for you specifically take your breath away today.
Scott Savage is a pastor and a writer and yes, he does have the best last name ever. He leads Cornerstone Church in Prescott, Arizona. Scott is married to Dani and they are the proud parents of three children. He loves helping hurting people forgive others through his Free to Forgive course and you can read more of his writing at scottsavagelive.com.
