My Reaction to Fireproof the Movie

Wow! I watched Fireproof the Movie for the very first time last night. People have been telling me to watch it for some time and for some reason I put it off until last night. I can't tell you how moved I was by the content of the movie. I'm going to break down what I viewed to be the major topics then I'm going to discuss the movie and give my reaction.

Movie Plot: A typical American family gets married and as the years have gone by the marriage has nearly ended in divorce. The husband and wife both feel justified in their reasons for wanting to leave the marriage. The husband receives a "Love Dare Journal" from his father in a desperate attempt to save his marriage. The husband takes on the 40 Day Love challenge at first motivated by his respect for his father. Later the husband continues the love challenge because the husband has fallen in Love with God. The love he has for God is so deep that he learns how to love his wife in a totally new way. The way God intended which is to love unconditionally!

My Reaction: I watched this movie not knowing what the main premise of the movie was. I watched it just because different ones kept telling me I should watch it. The funny thing is I saw parts of myself in both characters in the movie. I could relate with both the husband and the wife. Let me explain. The wife was a career woman who found it her responsibility to do all of the house chores because he husband for seven long years had taken the stance that all the house work belonged to the wife. Both the husband and the wife had demanding careers. The wife a Hospital Public Relations Official and the husband a Chief Firefighter. I found that both of them felt they were each under appreciated. Neither of them knew or took the time to try to understand the needs of one another. I was shocked to see how bad things had gotten without there being a huge major issue like finances or infidelity. The ONLY issue I saw was that instead of a marriage of partnership their marriage had become one of responsibility.

Major Topics Addressed:

1) Is it good enough to be a good person minus a relationship with God?

*This was a shocking concept to see played out on the movie screen because often times Hollywood creates movies where there are "good characters". But there is no mention of God being the motivational force behind the acts of love or kindness demonstrated through the lives of the characters. This point made me take a look at myself and face the concept that me just trying to get by as a borderline good person is NOT good in the eyes of God!

2) What motivates your love for others in your relationship with others be it a romantic one or a non-romantic relationship?

*This movie brought out that TRUE LOVE begins with a foundations of Love that can ONLY come from God! This is a mind blowing concept. Its simple enough to grasp but its one of those concepts like "faith" or "salvation" its easy to get the mental understanding but a daily challenge to incorporate those intangible beliefs into our daily lifestyle. The movie went so far as to say that unless you open your heart to accept God's love and salvation then there is NO WAY you will ever be able to LOVE anyone be it a partner or a friend! The movie said that God has to show me His love and once that happens my motivation and love for others will begin to flow freely without hesitation.

3) When is enough...really enough in marriage?

*The movie said that there should NEVER be a point of NO return in a marriage. This is because the marriage vows are sacred. The vows show a covenant between the man and woman and God. The marriage simply isn't a contract on paper but it is a covenant that God takes very seriously! The movie illustrates that since God NEVER stops loving us that we should NEVER stop loving or fighting for the love of our marriage.

4) Where does God fit into the practical application of building a relationship with God as the true foundation and center of a relationship?

*The movie shows that God NEVER EVER gives up on us. That even when we turn our backs on God He is still there to help and love us past all of our pain. The movie shows that no one not even our earthly parents can love us as deeply as Jesus. The movie challenges each one to make God the head of their lives through daily devotion and reflection on God's word and love for us.

5) How do I practically show my love for God in my relationships?

*The movie demonstrated that if we are motivated by God's love then we won't look for our acts of love to be rewarded. Daily rewards or words of thanks are NOT the motivating factors in a relationship where God is the true center. The movie goes on to emphasize that the way we love others shows how much we love God! Wow what a concept! Basically it takes the whole bible text "Love your brother as you love yourself to another level". It challenges us not to look for appreciation from those in our lives but that we should get fulfillment from God which WILL ACTIVATE our LOVE for those in our lives.

Conclusion:
I was really touched by this movie and I'm thinking about taking the 40 Day Love Dare Challenge. The cool thing is you can take the challenge as an individual or as a couple! So either way you can either deepen your relationship with God and improve how you demonstrate God's love in your various relationships. Or you can take the challenge as a couple and together choose to deepen your relationship with God and each other. The interesting thing is your relationship doesn't have to be in shambles for you to take the challenge. All you need is a willing heart so that you can begin to see just how DEEP God's love is for us all! I hope this movie review was more than just a movie review! I hope God was able to touch your heart and mind in some small way through this article! Thanks for reading!

For more information on the 40 Day Love Challenge visit: http://www.fireproofmymarriage.com