The Proposal with Paul McDonald and Dustin Oprea
Coming up on the Men at the Movies podcast, I talk with Dustin Oprea about the rom-com The Proposal. We live our lives trying to control the narrative that others have for us, but that only makes us slaves to them and the way they think. Freedom is being able to walk in a way that isn’t dependent on how others see you. The easy road involves trying to achieve control, but that way only leads to death. The narrow road is difficult, but we find life at the end. It takes two to make a thing go right, so join me as we discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
Everyone wants freedom.
The adventure is to try things that are uncomfortable.
We want to control the narrative that others have for us.
When emotion rises up, it has to go somewhere.
We can’t control how someone else sees us.
Freedom is being able to walk in a way that you aren’t dependent on how others see you.
We eventually reach a point where the way life has worked stops working.
Themes
Freedom vs control
I want to control how others look at me—which actually makes us slaves to them and they way they think
Relationships are business negotiations, transactional.
Freedom isn’t doing whatever you want whenever you want.
Freedom is being able to walk in a way that you aren’t dependent on how others see you.
We can’t dance to other people’s music, but to our own beat, the rhythm that God gives us.
What does it mean to be flexible? Willing to bend one way or the other based on…what? What others think? Where God is leading?
Easy road vs hard road
Easy Road: manipulating circumstances to try to get 100% control over circumstances; seems easy, but leads to death
Hard road: being flexible to allow God to lead your direction; is difficult but leads to life;
Resources
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” - Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
“Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame.” - Isaiah 50:7 (NLT)
“The wind blows wherever it wants. Just as you can hear the wind but can’t tell where it comes from or where it is going, so you can’t explain how people are born of the Spirit.” - John 3:8 (NLT)
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” - Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)
Questions
Is it harder to love someone, or receive love from someone?
Where are you more comfortable?
Where are you trying to control your narrative?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock
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