If you are familiar with the movie, “Legally Blonde,” then you may recall the speech that the main character, Elle Woods gave at graduation. This scene was brought to my memory this morning as I prepared to write this post.

The events of this week are in a word…horrific. My heart breaks for the families of Iryna Zarutska and Charlie Kirk. Yet, I know that God is comforting them like only He can (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)  and He will bring good out of these tragedies, as only He can (Romans 8:28).

I received messages this week asking why I thought these events happened and what is going on in our world. The answer is simple. We live in a broken world and there is evil all around us (Ephesians 5:15-16). 

In a ministry entitled, “Elevate The Day,” I don’t typically share somber news, as my aim is and has always been to encourage you in your faith; to share the amazing things God has done so that through me, you see His love, mercy, and grace and know that it’s available to you as well.

I believe the Lord put this movie scene in my spirit, yet you may be asking, “How can a silly movie have any answers to what happened this week?” However, I think you’ll see the wisdom spoken by this fictional character may be what our world is actually lacking righ now. (Click here to watch the clip.)

If you’re not familiar with the film, Elle Woods is pursuing a law degree at Harvard in the hopes of winning back the love of her life. While this is an epic fail, the lessons she learned and shares are the real gems of this movie.

As valedictorian of her class, Elle stands confidently at the podium exhorting her fellow graduates to:

1.    Enter the world with passion.
2.    Have courage of conviction.
3.    Have a strong sense of self.
4.    Realize that first impressions are not always correct.
5.    Have faith in people.
6.    Have faith in yourself.

Of course, I would add a much-needed number seven to this list: Have faith in God. If I were to take Elle’s place, here’s what I might say: 

•    God created each of us in His image (Genesis 1:27) to give us our true identity and sense of self.
•    God devised a plan for our lives that we can accomplish with passion  as we follow Him (Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 1:4). 
•    God gave us His Word and His Holy Spirit to help us have the courage of our convictions and to face our giants (John 14:16-18).
•    God gave us His Son as the example of how to live, not judging others by first impressions (or social media posts), but walking in love (1 Peter 2:21, John 3:16).
•    Jesus gave all believers in Him the same authority He has so that we can live the life He died for us to have and overcome evil (Matthew 28:18-20).

Ms. Woods encouraged her classmates to take what they learned and share it with the world. I think this echoes the directive that Jesus gave His apostles and each of us, now more than ever:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

This week, let’s consider the part we play in passionately sharing the courage of our conviction of our faith with the world, knowing who we are in Christ and that it is only love that overcomes evil.

P.S. If this week’s events have stirred up fear or worry, then I invite you to watch or listen to the Elevate The Day Podcast, “What Are You Afraid Of?” to learn how God’s perfect love will cast out all fear and enable you to experience victory.