How to Share Your Faith Using The Aviator
Howard Hughes was one whacked-out, eccentric dude. Fabulously wealthy, famous, creative, influential - he had every opportunity to find happiness and live a successful life. The movie The Aviator tells the story of this real-life billionaire, who lived in a time when a billion dollars was a lot of money!!
Hughes, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, inherited millions of dollars from his family's fortune. When ordinary people look at someone that filthy rich, they often think - "If only I had that much money, I'd be perfectly content." Ever imagined what it would be like to win the lottery? You may be surprised to learn that within a year of winning mega-bucks, most lottery winners report being no happier than they were before they landed the big payout. Why would that be? There's a saying that goes like this: "How much money is enough? A little more than you have right now." The Bible says, "Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income." Howard Hughes had loads of money, yet his money didn't buy him happiness. In an effort to make even more money he chose his work over his relationships. Throughout his life he became an increasingly driven, obsessive, paranoid and disturbed man. Somehow in his mind, his value as a human being was tied up in his work and his wealth and he pursued those interests to the detriment of his relationships.
There's amazing freedom in understanding the Christian truth that God loves us just as we are, not for what we accomplish. There's nothing we can do to make him love us any more and there's nothing we can do to make him love us any less! That's what grace is all about. And he is definitely not impressed by our financial wealth. No one can buy their way into heaven, because it's a free gift from God through his son Jesus.
The Aviator can offer a great discussion starter for conversation with your friends. Ask them how they think they'd be different if they were extravagantly rich. Would they always be wondering if their friends liked them for their money or for who they are as a person? Would they be tempted to "buy" friends like Ava Gardner accused Howard Hughes of trying to do in the movie? Would they consider giving some of their wealth away to help others? This might give you the opportunity to talk about what you'd do and to share more about your relationship with God.
Even our coins and bills say "In God We Trust", not "In Money We Trust". Ask your friends what they think "In God We Trust" really means and why they think it's printed on our money. Peace and contentment don't come from money - they flow out of our relationship with God. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:12-13, "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
Now that's something to trust in – knowing God's strength and peace are always available and being content whatever comes our way. That's news good enough to share with our friends!
