Have You Become a Lava Monster? — Broken & Hopeful
It’s not often that a kids’ movie cuts me to the core with meaning and emotion. For those of you with small kids, you know how often these movies are watched. And after a while, I start to tune out of the songs and silliness. Moana, however, made me weep. For those of you who haven’t seen it (spoiler alert, people!!) at the end of the movie, Moana realizes that the big, terrible lava beast who is trying to kill her is actually the island goddess. Moana’s whole mission is to save this goddess by restoring a jewel which is her heart. Instead of running from the monster anymore, Moana stops and asks the ocean to part to allow the lava monster to come to her. Then she sings a song:
“I have crossed the horizon to find you. I know your name. I may have stolen the heart from inside you but this does not define you. This is not who you are. You know who you are.”
And I just bawled my eyes out.How many of us have become lava monsters in our pain and anger? We hurt those around us and act in a way that is not who we are. And Jesus steps in and reminds us of who we are. He died to give us an identity that isn’t one of a fleshly, angry human intent on acting out selfishly and in rage. He says, “I know your name. This doesn’t define you. This isn’t who you are. You know who you are.”
You are not the sum of what has been done to you. You are not the total of your mistakes and choices. Yet how often we live out of that identity. But that’s not who you are. It might feel true, but really it’s a compilation of lies.
One of my favorite parts of doing what I do is reminding people who they are and watching them transform back into the visible form of that truth. If you are God’s beloved child, well-pleasing, forgiven, holy, acceptable, adored—how does living out of that change your life? You don’t have the act out in desperation, anger or need—you simply come back to the One who gave you that name, that identity and ask him to remind you. And to live through you.
The identity determines how the outside looks and it’s not a manufactured, polished outside. But fruit will be the product of the truth of Christ’s life in you. It will be a beautiful outflow of His life.
I know your name and these things do not define you. You know who you are. Chosen. Cherished. Beloved. Soak in that and allow His love to flow through you and bear fruit.
But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.1 Peter 2:9
