The movie Evan Almighty recently came out on DVD so I finally got a chance to watch it. I thought it was pretty good, there were some good morals and values in it, but there was a quote that really stood out to me as something. A short plot synopsis: A man, wanting to change the world is tasked by God to build an ark in preparation of an impending flood. This of course causes job issues and family issues as Evan reluctantly begins his task. At one point in time, Morgan Freeman, who portrays God in the film is talking to Evan’s wife, who had prayed that their family could be closer, and he says: “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each other?”
What an interesting idea! I don’t know about you but I often have the expectation that God will zap-fry me some patience or self-control or whatever but I don’t think often enough about what spiritual development really looks like. Spiritual disciplines, are just that, and like any other discipline, they require training to become proficient in them.
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