My favorite movie all through elementary school was none other than Holes. The thrill, the adventure, the mystery drew me in. It also helped that the two leads were super cute. Stanley Yelnats is punished for committing robbery and is sent on court orders to the desert to dig holes at Camp Green Lake. Therefore, he leaves his poor household and past behind, with no clue to what awaits him. He has trouble adjusting to the laborious routine of digging holes and digging more holes...after digging more holes. He kind of sucks at it and has no discipline or strength. One day, he notices his holes are all dug for him. A boy, named Hector Zeroni, also known as Zero, speedily and diligently completed his portion of holes but also did all the digging for Stanley. Zero was constantly teased, slandered, and underestimated because of his appearance and introversion. He was small in stature, brown-skinned, and had hair of wool like Corbin Bleu from High School Musical series. Even the camp's main instructor would reinforce the assumption of Hector's ignorance and insignificance, "His name is Zero because he's got not'n in his head. Yeah, he's a real genius. Ha, he's so stupid, he don't even know he's stupid! You might as well teach this shovel to read. Hey Zero, what does D-I-G spell?" At this moment, Hector hits Mr. Pendanski with the shovel and yells, "DIG!" When he runs away, Stanley later follows, and together, they embark on a challenging journey. It forces them to be at their weakest physical point and being skeptical of their identity. ***SPOILER ALERT they find out who they really are. Once they do, Zero and Stanley both live into their true identities and the wealth and favor that come with it.
What if I told you that we are just like Zero? The world beats us down by letting the enemy speak lies to us about our identity. They tell us that we are not strong enough, smart enough, good-looking enough, we're too fat and way too happy. Considering this, we start to change ourselves and morph our personalities and bodies into something far from what the Father has intended. Do you know how absurd it is to conform to this perverted and shattered world, by trying to look and be like everyone else, when the Most High gave us a specific way to look and be? Why are we wasting our ONE life living as someone else? Once we do this, we risk missing out on the specific calling He has for you and for me. If this is the case, you aren't a zero, you are negative. You are in the total opposite direction on the number line of where you're supposed to be, by not being who you really are. Well, let's say if you are not trying to be the same as everyone else, while simultaneously not living into your potential? Then you're just a zero. I actually am not that great at math, true story, but what I do know is the properties of zero. Zero is neither a negative nor positive integer. It's just plain in the middle, not leaning one way or the other. It's not super bad but also not outstanding and unique; just basic. It seems like a lot of people these days feel like this. Everything about them is lukewarm. Their faith, their passion, their confidence. More specifically, Christians can be zeros. No matter how many times the Most High tries to multiply -- as in increasing them, they still turn out as "zero". In other words, when He calls your name, when He tugs on your heart, when He knocks on the door of your life, hoping you answer, you remain the same. Unmoved by Him. Stagnant. Well, how can you answer when you don't recognize your own name that He's calling? How can you feel Him tug on your heart when the very pieces are scattered everywhere, which results in the numbness you feel, so you can't even feel Him pursuing? How can you invite Him in when He's knocking, if you have the doors of your life locked up and chained? Even if they were unlocked, you wouldn't hear Him knocking and calling, when you're too occupied being hypnotized by the melancholy soundtrack of reality. You're just stuck at zero. So frustratingly static. Existing but not really living. A life without the Father is not a life at all.
I was sick of being a zero. I was sick of being lukewarm and stuck in my sin and my mess. I was trapped in the ditch of the false identity that I created, by trying to be like everyone else. That's why I needed the Rescuer. We all need Him. We need someone mighty to pull us out our messy and unrighteous lives. Well, how are we supposed to find this special One? Because the people who you would prefer to call to get you out of the ditch, are right there with you! Yup, they are stuck with you. So if they are trapped too, then how the heck are they supposed to get you out? Matthew 15:14 - "Leave them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." Let's stop hanging around with all of the zeros and be friends with the people who know the Hero! The Hero is the one that can save us at all times and in all places, within our rigid and unexpected lives. However, keep in mind that we have to wait on Him because our timing is completely different than His! Believe me. "I waited for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings," (Psalm 40:1-2). He will be the One to pull us over to the positive side of our identity because we are made in the likeness of Him. And He, my friend, is certainly not a zero. Just even one point above zero is a huge improvement. Think about it, one can be multiplied by a huge number and become just as great and valuable as that number. You are worth way more than you can imagine.
