Captain Marvel and Getting Back Up
Let me begin by saying that I didn’t particularly care for Captain Marvel, the newest installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. All in all, I found the titular character uninspiring and bland. So many women and girls will now see Captain Marvel as a halcyon of female empowerment, which, given how the character behaved in the film, is really sad. The film version of Wonder Woman is a much better candidate for that honor.
If you would like to read more about the film’s shortcomings, check out my in-depth review here.
Though I think it failed in its execution, Captain Marvel attempted to convey a strong core truth about Christian life. Carol Danvers was depicted as a person whose inner strength is her greatest attribute. The film shows several instances in Carol’s life in which she falls down—sometimes literally. She then finds the strength within herself to endure and try again, becoming stronger and smarter in the process.
We’ve all had instances in our lives in which we have failed or not measured up. They may have been large and small, but we remember them. These negative episodes stick with us and have the capability to haunt us—hindering our ability to try again. However, we must not be discouraged or consumed by our failures. We must dust ourselves off, rise to the challenge, and try again. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but because God commands it.
“In this life, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
—John 16:33
The Christian life is fraught with opposition—chief among them our spiritual adversary, Satan. The earth is the domain of the evil one and is hostile to the Truth. Jesus explained as such in the Book of John. But we are to be encouraged in knowing that our Lord is stronger than any adversary on this earth and He will give us the strength to get through our trials. With the cross, God “picked us up” out of the mire of our own sins and failures.
“But while Joseph was there in the prison, the Lord was with him…”
—Genesis 39:20-21
There are many examples in the Bible of individual men and women whom God gave strength to endure seemingly impossible events and work past their own shortcomings. One of my favorites is Joseph from the Book of Genesis. Left for dead and sold into slavery by his own brothers, Joseph maintained his faith in God through all of his punishment, imprisonment, and humiliation. When Joseph finally came to a place of prominence in Egypt, his master’s wife tried to seduce him and accused him of rape, leading to more prison time. And God gave him the strength to endure all of it, as well as spiritual gifts of prophecy through his dreams that eventually earned him a place in the royal court of Egypt.
With God’s strength, Joseph eventually forgave his brothers, even though all of the hardship he had been through could have made him bitter and fueled by vengeance. Joseph maintained his devotion to God and God gave Joseph the wisdom and power to get through his trials. God can do the same for us—give us spiritual sustenance to get through times of pain. And His supply is endless, as Joseph’s trials lasted several years.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”
—2 Timothy 4:7
The apostle Paul kept the faith despite severe hardships as one of Christianity’s greatest missionaries. Throughout his travels, Paul endured trials like shipwrecks, imprisonment, beatings, threats, and others. They tested him and came close to breaking him. But Paul relentlessly clung to Jesus and garnered strength from Him. And with the Lord’s help, he endured all he faced. With Jesus’ help, Paul was able to dust himself off and get back up to do the Lord’s work. And when the time came for his execution, Paul was content that he had done all the Lord had asked.
We must learn to endure the hardships and failures of this life and not have them consume us. We will be told by people, time and time again, that we’re not good enough, that God couldn’t possibly love us, that we can’t accomplish what the Lord has asked of us. But we must cling to Christ in those instances and ask Him for strength. He will pick us back up until our work is done and then be with us forever more.
Life is tough and there will be times when we stumble and fall—both literally and spiritually. But we must not dwell on our failures, listen to the naysayers, and have our feelings consume us. But we shouldn’t look to ourselves for redemption. We must look to Christ, whose opinion of us is the only one that really matters, and lean on His strength to pull ourselves up. If we walk by faith, we will have the strength necessary to endure any trials this world can offer. We just need to get back up again.
