Despicable Me

I took my girls to the movie this week. We saw "Despicable Me." It was a cute movie. An evil villain is trying to steal a shrink ray, so he can shrink, then steal the moon. Along the way he decides to adopt three little girls to use as a decoy in his scheme. But as the plot thickens, we learn the reason the villain, Gru, is evil.

Try as he might, he could never be good enough to please his mom. When good enough never worked, he tried bad enough. What Gru really wanted is love and acceptance. And when those three little girls, the decoys, love him and see him as a potential father, not despicable, he is changed.

The movie made me consider Despicable ME! I too had a mom I could never be good enough for. Luckily I never turned into an evil villain, although I did have my share of despicable-ness (a word I think I just coined). I too was changed by love, the love of God.

With Jesus, I don't have to be good enough. Jesus was good enough for me. The Bible says that while I was still a sinner, he loved me. He loved us. And His goodness fills the voids that my "nice tries" leave.

At the end of the movie, Gru is changed. Not despicable anymore, he is a father loved by his three children. And being a "happily ever after" kids movie, Gru's mom comes around and compliments him on his parenting, the acceptance he never received as a child.

Real life is not a movie. My mom isn't coming around to give me the acceptance I wanted from her. But because of God, I'm not Despicable me. I'm God's pick-able me. Chosen, loved, accepted. And so are you. Not despicable. Pick-able!

"God picked you out as his from the very start."
2 Thessalonians 2:13, The Message

Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown

And he's bad, bad Leroy Brown, Baddest man in the whole damn town.
Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown, Jim Croce, 1973


Do you ever feel bad? No, not sick, bad. (Sinful.) Or Maybe your think you're good. (Righteous.) How do we judge our actions?

Sometimes we judge ourselves by the people around us. We watch Wheel of Fortune and think we're the smartest person ever, only to follow up with Jeopardy, and realize we don't know anything. At the pool, we feel absolutely thin next to that heavier person, until the mom of 4 in the bikini with her 6-pack abs walks by.

So are you "good" or "bad" based upon those around you? Maybe you don't gossip as much her...but you don't do as much prayer time as her. The truth is the only comparison we should be making is to Jesus. And compared to him, we are like Leroy Brown, "baddest man in the whole damn town."

But do you know what is amazing about God? He loves us every when we're bad. He's not like some Santa Claus figure who rejects you when your bad. No, the Bible says He loves us while we were still sinners. And He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, so that we may spend eternity with Him.

I'm bad. But because of Jesus I'm saved. And I'm working every day to be better. How about you?

Verse: Romans 5:8, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Musical Musings:
1. Do you have a messy life? Do you believe God has forgiven you in spite of it?
2. Are you still living life like the baddest person in town? What can you do to start changing?
3. If you think you are "good," try reading Psalm 53:3, Romans 3:12, Mark 10:18, and Luke 18:19. Ask God to forgive you too for failing to meet God's perfect standard of good.

Karaoke: Dear Lord, I want to be good. I want to do good. Thank you Lord for sending Jesus to fill the gap between my attempts at being good and Your Goodness. You alone are good and I thank you for showing me that while I am bad, a sinner, that you love me and sent your Son so that I can be considering righteous. All I have to do is be your child, and I will be presented holy and blameless. Thank you Lord for changing me! In Jesus Name, amen.

Rock On: Still struggling with the concept over being considered a sinner? Read Luke 15:1-7. There is more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.