The Indiana Jones Effect: How to Work With Rather Than Against God’s Plan

The Raiders Minimization

My husband and I both enjoy watching The Big Bang Theory and recently rewatched the episode where Amy Farrah Fowler (Sheldon’s girlfriend) ruins Sheldon’s favorite movie.  As she explains to him, in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Indiana’s existence contributed nothing to the final outcome of the film.  

This perspective is contested, and I’m not here to make a case either way.  I’ve certainly not picked the plot apart enough to weigh in.  However, the concept is interesting.  Indiana kills a number of people, and creates quite a bit of drama.  All that to arrive at the same outcome as far as the ark is concerned.  Indie’s way “makes for a bad day” (as my dad would say).  It’s like an anti It’s a Wonderful Life scenario.  If you didn’t exist, Indie, life would be better (or life would exist) for a lot of folks.  

The Indiana Jones Effect

Just recently, perhaps like Indiana, I stuck my neck into an area of life that I had no business doing so.  I tried to arrange a situation for my family without asking for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and despite a few wise friends’ advice to the contrary.  God intervened to stop my disaster of a plan from unfolding.  I accidentally hurt some people in the process.  However, no one was burned to death, impaled, or shot.  Praise God.

The Wisdom of the Spirit

In the middle of the mess, I received this message from the Holy Spirit in a time of prayer:

What more do you require to trust [me]?  You do not need to control any outcomes or processes.  Please stop trying to arrange things as you see fit.  Not only do you lose your own peace but you wrongly guide others.  It is an absolute necessity that you learn to step back…How much pain could have been averted had you paused and asked for guidance before assuming you knew how things should unfold?  The importance of a shift cannot be overstated.  You have a choice between righting the ship by your silence or sinking a fleet with your arrogance.  You DO NOT know what is best in this situation.

It’s the first time in years that I have received that level of conviction from the Holy Spirit.  Please understand that this message, though stern, was what I needed, and the Holy Spirit delivered it entirely in a spirit of love.  Much like Mufasa did in The Lion King with his young son Simba after Simba ventured into the elephant graveyard.  

Working With Rather Than Against God’s Plan

Over the next few days, I allowed the Holy Spirit to “right the ship” and the situation was resolved, just as promised.  Instead of stress and anxiety, I feel once again the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit flowing through me.  

We all have a choice: We can try to control the creator of the universe or we can allow His power to move within us and through us.  The former leads to conflict, fear, and anxiety.  The latter requires an extreme level of trust in God, but leads to peace and joy.

Building Trust

We can build that trust daily with small exercises designed to strengthen faith.  

1.First, take a look at the broadbrush picture of your life.  Can you see how God led you to and through some of the biggest challenges to shape you into who you are today?  

2. Second, keep a prayer journal.  When you are feeling discouraged, read back over the countless answered prayers.  For those unanswered prayers, is it possible that God’s way was actually for the highest good of all involved?  Sometimes God’s will is to grow us through challenges.  As we are not able to know all aspects of every situation, can we step back and trust God’s perfect will that transcends time?

3. Third, start and end each day in gratitude.  Keep your eyes peeled for what God is doing in your life and in your world.

4. Finally, when life is challenging, look for what God is teaching you and pray for God to help you to grow closer to Him during that time of inner growth.  

The Choice: The Way of Indiana or the Way of Christ

As we build faith, it becomes increasingly possible to surrender to the power of God which guides us all.  Instead of fighting against God’s will and slicing and dicing any number of so-called “enemies” in panic mode, we can allow God’s will to move through us.  We can live in grounded joy and spread that revolutionary goodness as we move through the world.    

Which will you choose?  The way of Indiana Jones or the way of Christ?  Perhaps we will remember Indiana for a century or two. Jesus died two thousand years ago and is the #1 most significant figure in human history.

God’s way is going to win out in the end.  Would you rather fight against the creator in fear or allow His love and strength to move through you?