Thursday, 25 March 2010

• Lessons from Alice

  Lessons from Alice:  Spiritual Associations from the film “Alice in Wonderland”

  By Tricia Robertson

  {Spoiler Alert: If you have not yet seen the new film “Alice in Wonderland” directed by Tim Burton, you may want to wait to read this.  Although I attempt to not give too much away, the basis of the plot and its outcome are central to my commentary.  Also, the associations I make are my own and were not necessarily intended by those who made the film.}

  When we meet Alice, she is a rather distracted girl who does not seem to know who she is or what she wants out of life.  Not unlike the rest of us, she is caught between lessons she learned from her father and pressures to conform to society and buy into their version of truth. She has a big task prophesied for her, but her uncertainty of her own identity causes her to doubt her ability to fulfill it.  Unless she can grow in the knowledge of who she is and believe in what she can do, all those who are counting on her will be lost.

  Alice had grown up with a wise, caring father who had planted seeds in her that would come to fruition to shape her destiny.  But in order to move forward, Alice had to not only realize her true identity but also rise up and believe that she could live out her true destiny.  Like Alice, you may not feel like a champion, but as a believer you are called to be a champion for God on earth.

  But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9 (NASB)

  We live in a culture that wants us to conform to its ways, but we also have a heavenly father who wants his children to live by His truth.  John 3:33 tells us that “The man who has accepted [Jesus’ testimony] has certified that God is truthful.”  If we are truly followers of Christ, we will believe God’s Word is true.  As believers, we need to not only agree with God’s truth but also live it out if we are to live the lives He has planned for us.  

  Toward the beginning of the film, Alice falls down a rabbit hole and arrives in a strange land.  Apparently, the inhabitants have been waiting for Alice’s return.  But Alice does not remember being there before and insists she is having a dream.  The residents accuse her of being the “wrong Alice.”  The “real Alice” was prophesied as the champion who will slay the enemy.  But this Alice, as the Hatter puts it, has lost her “muchness”.  How can she be champion?  She says she cannot possibly slay anything, even if her life depended on it.  Eventually, her life will.

  Our lives as believers don’t just depend on resting in our salvation until the Lord takes us to Heaven.  We each have a divine purpose; an assignment to carry out that requires us to know who we are and what we can do.  Have we forgotten the joy of our salvation?  The time when we were young believers and ready to do all He asked of us?  Have we lost our “muchness”?  We may not think we can defeat the enemy, but that will not stop him from trying to defeat us. 

  In the film, the challenges Alice faces serve to reveal and develop her true character.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.”  As the film progresses, we watch Alice’s character develop in just this way.  She approaches everyone with honesty, even when it does not serve to show herself in the best light.  She also shows that she is faithful and courageous when she insists on rescuing the friend who got her to safety, instead of simply pursuing shelter for herself.  Although she initially insists that she cannot be the champion they were expecting, the values she lives by and the way they cause her to face adversity begin to develop another picture. 

  The Apostle Paul counsels us to be joyful in our trials, knowing that they help us develop godly character (James 1:2-4)  As Christians, we are blessed that we are not left alone to face adversity.  The Holy Spirit has been sent to help us know and do the will of the Father, and the Father promises to give us everything we request in His Son Jesus’ name:

  “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” John 15:16 (NASB) See also John 14:13 & John 15:7.

  It may be hard to grasp, but instead of praying for what seems possible to us, we need to dare to ask for the impossible.  Jesus clearly tells us that nothing is impossible for God (Matthew 19:26, Mark 10:27).

  Alice’s father had told her that it was quite good to believe in the impossible.  What he knew--and she had to learn--is that it is not enough to just believe the impossible.  Her aunt was an example of someone who can truly go mad from lying to herself.  As an old woman, she was still sitting and waiting for her prince to come.  So dreaming up a fictional reality will not move you forward.  However, daring to dream dreams and then acting to turn them into reality is what turns dreamers into world-changers.

  In the movie, the white queen had the champion’s armor and sword but needed the champion to come forward and choose to give herself for the good of the kingdom.  With the help of her new friends, Alice finally understands who she is and what she is called to do.  When she rises to the challenge and conquers the enemy, she not only sets others free but alters the whole course of her future, as well.

  It is the same with our own lives.  We will not fulfill our destinies unless we acknowledge and live out the new identities we have in Christ.  Think about it for a moment.  If you believe God’s Word is true, then you will believe He has a plan and purpose for your life.  Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor, heal the sick, and set the captives free (Isaiah 61:1-2 & Luke 4:18).  His ministry on this earth was brief, but He called us to continue it with the help of the Holy Spirit. 

  If you believe God’s Word is true, you will not shrink back from the enemy but will put on God’s armor, take up the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, and fight.  Putting aside fear and unbelief to face the enemy in strength, you will live for a cause that is greater than your Self and claim ultimate victory through Christ.

  “Therefore, my dear brothers {and sisters}, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.

   

   

   

   

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