"Larry Crowne"

We went to a movie this afternoon. No, I didn’t get to see Transformer’s, at least not yet. What we did see was “Larry Crowne” with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts. The plot was about a middle-aged man who lost his job at a super store similar to Target. It could have been the story of probably thousands of people in the last few years. Larry was a victim of the economic times. As a victim, he was powerless and was being blown around by the system as it worked without remorse.

In the movie, Larry goes back to college and he meets some people who help him move from a victim to someone who takes ownership of his life and his problems. He eventually faces life head on, and becomes a better man and a happier man for taking control. It was a good movie and at the time just was really a “feel good” movie with a good ending.

But as I thought of it, I realized the spiritual significance of what I had seen. To many of us as Christians, we have allowed ourselves to let our circumstances turn us into victims. We whine and even pray for deliverance, never asking Papa how to meet the problems head on. I have had many areas in my own life where it seemed so much easier to ignore them and pray that they will go away. Don’t get me wrong; I am a firm believer in prayer. But I also believe that we have been called to be over- comers. That means we actually have to overcome something. It’s like the old saying about testimonies. Everybody wants a testimony, but mo one wants the test that causes the testimony.

An overcomer is not a victim. They don’t spend their time feeling sorry for themselves or wondering why they weren’t delivered. No, they live above their circumstances and keep their joy in the midst of trials. They look for ways to address the problems, not run from them. Above all, they continually believe in God and His goodness, even when things are darkest. In all this, the key is to live looking from heaven down. Don’t allow yourself to live in the situation; it will destroy you. You have to live above it. By that, I mean that the situation doesn’t dictate your attitudes and your peace. Your peace comes from your Father, and no man can take it. The only way you can lose it is to give it away. In the movie, once Larry figured out that He was in control of himself, things turned around. We might not be able to control our circumstances, but we can control ourselves and how we handle each situation. Remember your peace comes from above. No one can take it, but you can give it away. Don’t!