WEEK TWO: SUPER MARIO BROS

In video games, it’s so easy to take risks; if something goes wrong, you can just start over! I remember playing Super Mario games growing up and trying over and over again to beat a level. If I ran out of “lives,” I would hear sad music as the words “GAME OVER” flashed across the screen. But even then, a player can try again… and again and again. Obviously, in real life, many of us feel much more cautious. We find it hard to run headfirst into an unknown situation or face a new obstacle, because we know we don’t get extra lives or endless chances to start over if we mess up.

In the Mario movie, we see a version of the character Luigi who tends to be pretty risk-averse and easily frightened. But if you watch carefully, you’ll see something interesting as the brothers find themselves in the sewers under the city. As Mario explores with enthusiasm, he confidently and quickly moves from surface to surface, jumping and climbing and dropping as he travels toward his destination. But everywhere Mario goes, you’ll find Luigi not far behind. Even though he’s scared, and even though he moves more slowly and deliberately, Luigi follows close behind his brother. He trusts Mario, so he is willing to go wherever Mario goes!

In the Bible, we find so many stories of people who trust in God even when they are afraid, uncertain, or confused. In the book of Joshua, we find the leader of the Israelites being asked to use what seems like an absurd battle strategy to conquer the city of Jericho. Rather than a typical approach to combat, the soldiers are asked to march rather than attack. Rather than donning weapons of warfare, the people bring trumpets to the fight. Even though it seemed to make no sense, Joshua and his army are obedient, choosing to trust in God’s instructions—and they are victorious!

In the game of life, we will always face new “levels.” There will always be a new season to begin, a new test to face, and a new decision to make. How will we know what to do or where to go? Like Luigi fully trusted in his brother to get him through each situation, and like Joshua and his warriors around the walls of Jericho, we can trust God as well. Maybe you have something big and unknown coming up in your life that feels impossible to overcome. Maybe you’re facing something really scary that has you filled with worry and anxiety. Maybe there is a hard choice to make and you’re not sure what the right decision is or the best path to take. Whatever it is that you’re facing in the next level of life, God has given you the power to face it! He goes before us and nothing takes God by surprise. If we can keep our eyes on him and follow in his footsteps, we can trust that God will give us the tools and resources that we need to face each obstacle as it comes our way.