Quotes from movies are often great conversation pieces and sometimes they are a quick response used in our society. Here are a few examples of the ones from people in my sphere recently.
-“I never look back darling it distracts me from the now.” Edna, The Incredibles
-“Don’t ever tell me there’s no way.” Phil Coulson, Marvel
-“The greatest gift we can receive is to have the chance, just once in our lives, to make a difference.” Dr. Stephen Strange
-“Where is my super suit?” The Incredibles
-“The brave may die young, but the cautious never really live” –Princess Diaries
-“Linda Listen” – youtube video
-“Men should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin” Martin Luther
But what if we used the proverbs in the midst of a culture that soaks up one liners from movies. We could be promoting wisdom and opening the door to talk about spiritual things. Recently this occurred to me as I was visiting with my daughter’s doctor at her appointment. There were several news headliners the doctor and I were discussing when I simply mentioned that “The first to plead his case seems right, until another comes along and examines him” (Pro. 18:17). It was to make the point that anything can sound right when it is one sided. The doctor quickly responded with “what did you say” and I repeated the Proverb. His next question was “where did that come from?” I replied, “it is from the book of Proverbs in the Bible.” Little did I know the short Bible discussion that would follow.
Also, the Proverbs are not only for conversations outside the home, but what about with our kids. Sometimes they may be challenged with school academics and we can remind them “The mind of the prudent acquires knowledge, And the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.” It is an opportunity to remind them that God grants knowledge and uses it for his good desire.
In addition, the Proverbs are for us to examine our ways in day to day life. For example, someone who is struggling with their tongue may contemplate Proverbs 15:
A gentle answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2 The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable,
But the mouth of fools spouts folly.
3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,
Watching the evil and the good.
4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life,
But perversion in it crushes the spirit.
Furthermore, many movie quotes are used to stir up laughter and fun, but also they provoke serious thought regarding certain issues. Let’s not use the Proverbs to harm people, but instead to promote truth and well being for your neighbor.
Here are your three takeaways:
- Use Proverbs as quotes to engage conversation, expose error and embrace truth
- Use Proverbs to encourage those in your sphere
- Use Proverbs to gain wisdom for every day life
Hopefully Proverbs will open the door for spiritual conversations to discuss the most important matters.
