“Don’t Be a Lt. Dan!”

04 Nov “Don’t Be a Lt. Dan!”

Verse of the Day – Proverbs 16:3
Thought for the Day: God can help us find meaning today!

Although he is not the central character in the film Forrest Gump, much can be learned from Lieutenant Dan’s transformation. Leading a platoon through Vietnam, Dan is stuck in his ways. He believes his life’s purpose is to die an American hero and fulfill what Forrest called “a long great military tradition”. In the generations before him, a member of Dan’s family had fought and died in every American war. This is not to be the case for Dan when he is heroically rescued by his loyal friend Forrest. For a long time afterward, Dan is bitter and doesn’t know how to move on. Dan holds onto a limiting belief, is unwilling to let go, and it almost completely destroys him. Finally, Forrest’s unconditional friendship wins out, and Dan thanks him for saving his life.

Many times, we find ourselves stuck. When we stay set in our own ways, we limit God. We can hold onto certain beliefs that keep us from experiencing all that God has to offer us. Let’s remember the words of Proverbs: “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.” Rather than holding onto limiting beliefs about ourselves or others, it’s important to ask God to lead and guide us.

Do we ever find ourselves like Lt. Dan, unwilling or unable to let go of our own limiting beliefs? Ultimately, it took seven long years of frustration after his rescue for Dan to finally come to terms with his life. What about us? Are we holding onto things that limit our growth, or worse yet, make us miserable? Every day we have a new opportunity: today is a great day to break negative cycles. Will we let today come and go? Or, will we stop, commit our efforts to God, and ask Him to lead us?

In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David