May the Force Be with You

Posted On May 8, 2022

“The power of the Holy Spirit has made me free from the power of sin and death.
This power is mine because I belong to Christ Jesus.”

Romans 8:2 NLV

Today is Mother’s Day, but as a mother who loves science fiction, I have decided to focus on a different “holiday” for this week’s post. This past week Star Wars fans around the world celebrated what has now become known as Star Wars Day: May 4. In case you aren’t quite as geeky as the rest of us sci-fi nerds, let me explain. “May the Fourth be with you” is a pun based on “May the Force be with you”, the common farewell blessing of the rebel forces (the good guys) in the Star Wars movies:

What is the Force, exactly? Obi-Wan Kenobi explains to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope: “The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.”

Okay, so the Force is just a fictional energy field, not God, but I can’t help seeing some Christian ideas in certain aspects of it. This week we’ll explore a few. We can start with this: In Star Wars the Force is what binds the galaxy together. But in reality, everything is held together by Christ.

“He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.”

Colossians 1:17 NLT

Unlimited Power

“You’ll get the full force of Christ, don’t think you won’t.
He was sheer weakness and humiliation when he was killed on the cross,
but oh, he’s alive now—in the mighty power of God!”

2 Corinthians 13:3-4 MSG

There’s a scene in Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith in which the evil Emperor Palpatine screams, “Power! Unlimited power!” while using “force lightning” to attack a high-ranking Jedi Knight. He is quite powerful (and rather scary), but nothing compares to the power of our Almighty God. If we want to see the effects of God’s unlimited power, we have only to look around us. We see it during a thunderstorm when lightning fills the sky. We hear it when thunder rattles our windows. We feel it when rain pours down on us and the wind blows in our face. All of creation displays His glory and His eternal power (Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20).

We tend to think of God the Father when we think of our Creator, but the Bible tells us that God created everything through Christ (Colossians 1:15-16, John 1:3). Imagine the powerful forces required to create stars and planets and life itself. It’s too difficult for me to even comprehend! Yet, Christ had only to speak the words, and the universe came into being. Nothing is too hard for Him. His unlimited power is beyond anything we can understand.

God the Son chose to give up His divine power and privileges when He became human (Philippians 2:7), but that was only temporary. The full force of His creation power lives in Him now. What’s more, as Christians, that power lives in us, too. When we become followers of Christ, we are given the gift of His Spirit. The Holy Spirit surrounds us and penetrates us. He lives in us. He transforms us. And He fills us with Christ’s love. Nothing is more powerful than that!

“Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? . . . No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 8:35,37-39 NLT

I Am Your Father

“See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children,
and that is what we are!”

1 John 3:1 NLT

In the Star Wars universe, the Force has a dark side. Evil beings can access it and wreak all kinds of havoc. While teaching Luke about the Force, Yoda explains that fear, anger, and aggression lead to the dark side. He also warns that once you start down that path, it will control your destiny forever. This is what happened to Luke’s father, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was seduced by the dark side of the Force and became the evil Darth Vader. Luke is unaware of this until a dramatic scene in which Darth Vader reveals the truth to him: “I am your father.” Luke is understandably upset. He has just discovered that he is the child of a villain, and he’s worried he’s destined to follow the same path.

The complete opposite is true for us. When God tells us He is our Father, it’s cause for celebration, not despair. We are children of the all-powerful Hero: God is our Savior and King, and He loves us more than anyone ever could. Still, we may sometimes find ourselves worrying that we’ll do something to somehow diminish that love. When we mess up, we may think God is disappointed in us. Or worse, we may be afraid of losing His love altogether. We make mistakes. We drift off His path for us over and over again. We try to do better, but it seems like we just can’t get it right. And then we wonder, Will God ever give up on us?

“God didn’t look at our frazzled lives and say, ‘I’ll die for you when you deserve it.’ No, despite our sin, in the face of our rebellion, he chose to adopt us. And for God, there’s no going back. . . . you never again have to wonder who your father is — you’ve been adopted by God . . . .”

Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment

For God, there’s no going back. We will never lose His love, not ever! So we don’t have to worry. Once we put our faith in Christ and ask Him to be the Lord of our lives, we become children of God. Period. God will never abandon us. He will never give up on us. God knows we cannot be perfect on our own. That’s why He sent Christ to be perfect for us. Christ covered our sins — all of them — with His own blood when He died on the cross. So when God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sins and mistakes. He sees the righteousness of His perfect Son.

“Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, ‘I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.'”

John 8:12 NLT

In Star Wars, Luke Skywalker was worried that he was destined for the dark side. But in this galaxy, as Christians, we don’t have to worry. Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, saved us from that path. Unlike the Force, God does not have a dark side. The evil beings trying to wreak havoc in our lives do not have access to His power. Our Father is infinitely stronger than they are. While we still have to face battles with evil, God is the all-powerful Force controlling everything, and He is the One forever controlling our destiny.

“Always remember that God is ultimately in control,
His love for you never changes, and His will for your life is good.”

Charles F. Stanley, 30 Life Principles

The Force Will Be with You . . . Always

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

Philippians 1:6 ESV

In Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Yoda explains the reason he is able to accomplish great feats of strength despite his small size: “For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.” We, too, have a very powerful ally. When we accept Christ, we receive access to His power through the Holy Spirit. This makes us capable of amazing things despite our shortcomings.

The main job of the Holy Spirit is to transform us into the image of Christ. This is ongoing work that will continue until Christ returns (Philippians 1:6). While we may worry about our weaknesses and imperfections, God does not. He knows we are all works in progress, and He loves us for who we are. He doesn’t just put up with us, He delights in us and rejoices over us (Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 18:19, Psalm 147:11). The force of His love is always with us.

“You are God’s masterpiece, and He has given His Word as a testimony to the love He has for you. The Lord rejoices over you, though He knows your life is still in the process of becoming all that He has planned — though you are not yet what you will be.”

Charles F. Stanley, God’s Purpose for Your Life

The force of God’s transforming power is always with us, too. He gives us what we need every day to become the people He wants us to become. To borrow another Star Wars term, we are His Padawan learners, apprentices training to be like our Master. When we put our faith and trust in Him, He can teach us to accomplish amazing things. But there’s more to it than just training. The Padawan apprentice and the Jedi master develop a close bond. They spend much time together. They get to know one another. They become friends. And the master always looks out for the one in his or her care.

This is the kind of relationship God wants to have with us. Our Father always looks out for us. He celebrates with us when we are happy. He cries with us when we are sad. He comforts us when we are afraid. And He strengthens us when we are weak. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He longs for us to get to know Him, too. Just being in His presence can transform us in ways we can’t even imagine. He has so much to teach us. But I believe the most important lessons He wants us to grasp are about faith and trust. He wants us learn to depend on Him, to have faith in His love, and to trust He is always for us.

“God is for you. . . .
Too tired to continue? He’ll carry you.
Too discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up.
God is for you.”

Max Lucado, Grace for the Moment

This week’s Scripture passages remind us that the unlimited power of our Father is a force to be reckoned with! And the Holy Spirit gives us access to that power when we become followers of Christ. He surrounds us, lives in us, and transforms us. Our destiny is secure because God is the all-powerful Force controlling everything. And His love for us cannot be overcome.

So we never have to worry. We can be confident that the Force will be with us…always!

“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these?
If God is for us, who can ever be against us?”

Romans 8:31 NLT

References:

• Lucado, Max. Grace for the Moment: Inspirational Thoughts for Each Day of the Year. J. Countryman, 2000.
• “May the force be with you compilation.” YouTube, uploaded by Barry, 23 May 2018, https://youtu.be/KrCN3gnJaeg.
• Stanley, Charles F. 30 Life Principles Study Guide: A Study for Growing in Knowledge and Understanding of God. Thomas Nelson, 2008.
• Stanley, Charles F. God’s Purpose for Your Life: 365 Devotions. Thomas Nelson, 2020.
• Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Dir. George Lucas. 20th Century Fox, 2005.
• Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. Dir. George Lucas. 20th Century Fox, 1977.
• Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Dir. Irvin Kershner. 20th Century Fox, 1980.

Images:

• Space featured image by Casey Horner on Unsplash (edited)
• Lightning image by FelixMittermeier from Pixabay (edited)
• Earth and Moon image by 0fjd125gk87 from Pixabay
• Desert image by mufaddalap from Pixabay (edited)
• Light Sabers image by p2722754 from Pixabay (edited)