Lessons from Netflix

Heroes

Welcome to a new chapter in Lessons from Netflix; I hope this lesson is impactful and helps you in some in of your life. Last week we took a look at how focusing on the "journey" can lead to a phenomenal destination; this week I want to examine the heroes of our life. 

In the clip tagged above from the hit show Scrubs we find JD talking to Dr. Cox about how great of a leader he has been to the residents of Sacred Heart (the hospital that the show is focused in). At the end of this clip we see Elliot being beraded by Dr. Kelso (the chief of medicine) to the point where Dr. Cox takes a stand and punches Dr. Kelso in the nose. 

I love the show Scrubs because it focuses on the following things that mean a lot to me: friendship, family, looking inward and addressing flaws, and how we as humans are stronger together than we ever are when we are divided. In this particular episode I want to focus on how the residents of Sacred Heart gravitate towards Dr. Cox and make him the glorified "hero" of the hospital.

Dr. Cox on the surface is not a likeable person; he is arrogant, fiercely independent, easily angered by annoyances (like JD), and has trouble expressing emotion. Throughout the show Scrubs it feels like every time JD, Elliot, or Turk need a hero Dr. Cox always comes through for them. Sacred Heart (and hospitals in general) is not an easy place to work but by coming together and rallying behind Dr. Cox the residents of the hospital find ways to make live bearable. 

It makes a lot of sense that even in the early 2000's when Scrubs first came out that one of the main characters would be a "hero" like figure in the show. At the time that Scrubs came out America was beginning a trend of living life in fear; as a nation we had been devasted by September 11th, we were on the brink of war, and even though we had good leadership in our country the oncoming trend of social media would help develop a sense of fear that would devour our country even in the present day. In our darkest moments as a world we have always looked for heroes to save the day. I think a big proving point that the world needs a hero is our pop culture scene; Marvel movies have consistently hit bigger and bigger box office draws, Star Wars found a new beginning when they introuceded heroes like Rey, Poe, and Finn...we are a nation desperate for help.

"We are living in a messed up world that is full fear and hate; we need help we need a hero"

John Cooper (Lead Singer of Skillet)

Towards the of the Scrubs time on air the show shifted and focused on Dr. Cox building up JD to be a hero in his own right. In season 9 (technically Scrubs Med School but I still count it as season 9) we see how JD becomes a Dr. Cox figure in the hospital and he builds up a young med student named Lucy just as his hero had built him up. 

The lesson I take away from Scrubs is that we all need a hero in our life. We all need someone to inspire, to challenge, and to develop us into heroes to the people we are around. We live in a messed up world and the only way we can make it through the chaos that life throws us is if we have a solid foundation with the greatest hero of all time Jesus Christ. 

I like to reflect on all the Marvel heroes that I enjoy and think back to what makes them special; superheroes can all have incredible abilities but its how they use those abilities that helps make them great. Jesus Christ came into this world and in his roughly 33 years on earth he showed how absolutely incredible he is. Jesus performed miracles, he gave lessons that we can learn from to develop ourselves into his disciples, but the biggest thing he did was love us. Jesus loved us so much that he gave his life, he sacrificed himself for our sins so that we can have eternal life. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". John 3:16

For some of you reading this devotional John 3:16 might be the first verse you ever heard from the bible; this verse stands as the testament to who Jesus is. Jesus is the greatest hero to ever walk the earth. In every dark moment, in every moment where we feel like we have no hope Jesus is always there. 

"And those who know Your name will put their trust in You; For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You" Psalm 9:10

The bible talks about in Psalm chapter 9 about how when we seek God and put our trust in him he will deliver. I like to think about prayer as like a "bat signal" for our lives. Prayer is a place where we can talk with God and share everything we have to him; prayer is a place where where we can humble ourselves and thank God for being the greatest superhero of all time. God knows all but its the act of prayer that God tells us is where he wants us to give ourselves to him and share everything on our hearts so that we can surrender it to him and he will provide a way. 

God is the greatest superhero; by now you are probably tired of reading that statement but I repeat it so often in this chapter because its a huge lesson that bears constant repetition in our lives. Humble yourself and seek God in every aspect of your life, God will always be there even in the darkest moments of your life.

Homework: Challenge yourself to take 5-10 minutes at the end of the day to come before God and humbly pray to him. Ask God to provide for your needs, thank him for the blessings he has given you, and pray that he will continue to teach you lessons in life. 

Thanks for reading Lessons from Netflix; next week we will take a look at one of the biggest heroes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe!