Having a Samwise Attitude in the Storms of Life

So I was watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy this past weekend and this dialogue stuck out at me. I have to admit that it has passed me by the other two dozen times I have seen this movie (and trilogy), but this time around it hit me. Maybe it has to do with where I am in my life, maybe I was paying more attention, or maybe I am just more aware of things like this now. Here is the dialogue:

Frodo: “I can’t do this, Sam.”
Sam: “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights, we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered, full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing — this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you…that meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But, I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand…I know now. Folks in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going…because they were holding on to something.”
Frodo: “What are we holding on to, Sam?”
Sam: “That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.”

Profound, no? Sam had the right attitude about the journey. Frodo was very fortunate to have someone like him cheering him on.

Sometimes life comes at you hard. The enemy is lurking, waiting for a chance to trip you up, to make you stumble. The intent of the enemy is to throw your life, my life, and all lives out of balance. It is important, at all times but especially when encountering the storms of life, to have the proper perspective. There is some deep theology in Sam’s little speech. I believe that God’s desire is that we take an outlook similar to Sam. James 1:2-4 reads like this: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” If that isn’t proof enough, let’s examine 1 Peter 1:6-7: In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

Sometimes we believe that we just can’t continue on anymore. The trials that we go through are too much to bear. And, in a way, that’s right. We can’t go through these trials…alone. We must look to the Body of Christ to aid us in our journey. Frodo could have never made it through his journey without Sam. In fact, if you know the story, without Sam, Frodo would have indeed failed. From this I see that we must hold onto our faith in troubled times. In addition, we must reach out to other believers for help. The phrase “iron sharpening iron” is very important to remember. The enemy wants to cut us off and isolate us. In battle, the smart strategist will look to break apart the opposing army. It is much easier to defeat the opponent when they are scattered, confused, and cut off from the main group. The enemy will attack us and try to cut us off from the Body of Christ. I say that you cannot allow this to happen. I have seen this in my own personal walk. When encountering troubled times, the enemy comes at me and attempts to cut me off from wise counsel. Now the enemy will always allow unwise counsel, but when it comes to “iron sharpening iron” well, it becomes a tad more difficult. The best battle plan is to praise God in the midst of the storms of life. The waves may come crashing against you, but we stand upon the solid foundation of Jesus. Hold on to Christ, dear brothers and sisters. In addition, connect with the Body of Christ. Don’t go at it alone. If you do, you will give the devil a foothold. What does God say about this? Proverbs 11:14 “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory.” When going through the storms of life cling to the Rock and surround yourself with wise counsel. God will deliver you in the proper time.

So looking at it, Sam had it right. As Christians, we hold on to hope. While we encounter storms in life, while dark days may approach we must that hope is worth fighting for. Don’t give up and don’t give the enemy a foothold. Persevere in the Lord and the dark storms will pass while a new day dawns.