I know I'm about a year late getting onto the Frozen blogpost train, so please forgive me. I have to be honest, I don't get Christians hating on Frozen. I'll be the first to admit that Elsa doesn't act very heroic in the movie that she is marketed to be a hero in. But I think that the movie is something that Christians should watch and learn from because I've watched it play out before inside of churches.
Elsa is a beautiful talented young person who has been blessed with an incredible gift. The problem is that the gift, if used without maturity, can harm those around her. Those around her have never seen it before, they don't know how to react or how to help her; all they know is that while she uses her gift she is dangerous. So they teach her to "conceal, don't feel"; to hide her gift, to hide parts of who she is, to shut down to everyone and everything around her. So she does. The problem is that she isolates herself because she has been taught that parts of who she is are completely unacceptable, only that doesn't weaken her gift, it's part of who she is so separating herself out cannot remove it. Enter "Let it go". Was this reaction to her isolation and fear of hurting others wrong? Yes. And no. *Shocked Silence* The truth is, it was right for her to let go of other people's opinions of her. It was right for her to let go of the man-made rules that had been imposed on her. It was right for her to explore the beauty of the way she was created to be. It was right for her to finally receive the wonder of who she was. Incredible. Beautiful. Unique. Strong.
Does this narrative sound familiar? It did to me. There are so many beautiful and unique people walking through our church doors and so often we don't know what to do with them. Perhaps they're so loud that they're disruptive. Perhaps they border on controlling. Perhaps their imagination runs away with them. Perhaps they are just too emotional. Or perhaps we are meeting future evangelists, administrators, prophets and seers that have not yet learned how to operate in maturity. Instead of trying to shut down what we see as a problem perhaps we should be celebrating the God-given gifts within them. Perhaps you have been Elsa. I have been.
Luckily, running off and wreaking mayhem or isolating submissively for our whole lives are not our only two options. We have rock trolls (bear with me), people who have lived and experienced many things and can teach us how to navigate what we are experiencing. These people have the maturity we need; and often to reach a point where we can operate in our gifts in a way that uplifts our whole community we will need to submit ourselves to their guidance. We also have our family in Christ, brothers and sisters like Anna, who will fight for us and fight with us. These people will love us through our flaws and failures, many times they will accept us even before we accept ourselves. They will show us one of the most important things we will ever need to walk in our giftings and our lives: love. And we have one more amazing resource that Elsa never had: the Holy Spirit living inside of us, the very voice of God to lead and guide us, teaching the way we should go, creating life for others through our humble movements of obedience.
So be yourself! Each part of you was fashioned by God. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. You are altogether beautiful. There are good works that were created in advance just for you that you can simply walk in. Just remember, love is key to walking out your gift. "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling" 1 John 2:10. And the God who created you and your gifts leads you by the hand as you make this incredible journey called life.
...Oh and those things that were holding you back...let them go...
Elsa is a beautiful talented young person who has been blessed with an incredible gift. The problem is that the gift, if used without maturity, can harm those around her. Those around her have never seen it before, they don't know how to react or how to help her; all they know is that while she uses her gift she is dangerous. So they teach her to "conceal, don't feel"; to hide her gift, to hide parts of who she is, to shut down to everyone and everything around her. So she does. The problem is that she isolates herself because she has been taught that parts of who she is are completely unacceptable, only that doesn't weaken her gift, it's part of who she is so separating herself out cannot remove it. Enter "Let it go". Was this reaction to her isolation and fear of hurting others wrong? Yes. And no. *Shocked Silence* The truth is, it was right for her to let go of other people's opinions of her. It was right for her to let go of the man-made rules that had been imposed on her. It was right for her to explore the beauty of the way she was created to be. It was right for her to finally receive the wonder of who she was. Incredible. Beautiful. Unique. Strong.
Does this narrative sound familiar? It did to me. There are so many beautiful and unique people walking through our church doors and so often we don't know what to do with them. Perhaps they're so loud that they're disruptive. Perhaps they border on controlling. Perhaps their imagination runs away with them. Perhaps they are just too emotional. Or perhaps we are meeting future evangelists, administrators, prophets and seers that have not yet learned how to operate in maturity. Instead of trying to shut down what we see as a problem perhaps we should be celebrating the God-given gifts within them. Perhaps you have been Elsa. I have been.
Luckily, running off and wreaking mayhem or isolating submissively for our whole lives are not our only two options. We have rock trolls (bear with me), people who have lived and experienced many things and can teach us how to navigate what we are experiencing. These people have the maturity we need; and often to reach a point where we can operate in our gifts in a way that uplifts our whole community we will need to submit ourselves to their guidance. We also have our family in Christ, brothers and sisters like Anna, who will fight for us and fight with us. These people will love us through our flaws and failures, many times they will accept us even before we accept ourselves. They will show us one of the most important things we will ever need to walk in our giftings and our lives: love. And we have one more amazing resource that Elsa never had: the Holy Spirit living inside of us, the very voice of God to lead and guide us, teaching the way we should go, creating life for others through our humble movements of obedience.
So be yourself! Each part of you was fashioned by God. You were fearfully and wonderfully made. You are altogether beautiful. There are good works that were created in advance just for you that you can simply walk in. Just remember, love is key to walking out your gift. "Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling" 1 John 2:10. And the God who created you and your gifts leads you by the hand as you make this incredible journey called life.
...Oh and those things that were holding you back...let them go...
