I just finished watching the movie Prince of Persia with my family. Although I could write out a full review, I'm really itching to comment on the main female character (Tamina).
SPOILERS AHEAD! :)
If you're a girl like me, you see Tamina in the opening scenes and think to yourself, "Oh, what I would do to get to wear that dress, have that henna design painted on my hands, and have those silver flowers in my hair. Then I would be so beautiful!" Throughout the movie, it's hard to ignore that Tamina has beauty beyond outer adornments: her hair, eyes, and complexion are gorgeous (not to mention her slim figure).
As if that's not enough to envy, she's a princess with a cute/hot guy following her around--FOLLOWING her around. She's quite in-control, agile, and skillful, and a strong leader. She has all the independence, success, attention, and beauty we dream of as teenage girls.
But I want you to realize something very important: you have a lot in common with Tamina.
When God looks at you, He sees His beautiful bride. I want you to always envision yourself in the outfit Tamina wore in the opening and closing scenes. After all, that's how God sees you: Isaiah 61:10 says, "I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." Psalm 139:14 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Your body shape, your eyes, your hair--they're beautifully crafted by God. Your salvation and righteousness before God is, to Him, like the most beautiful dress a bride could wear, along with all the jewels you'd use in your hair and your jewelry. Even when you can't see your beauty, look at yourself and tell yourself the truth: Tamina may not have always seen her beauty, but she certainly was beautiful; likewise, I may not see my own beauty, but Jesus has made me dazzlingly beautiful.
Something else about Tamina: She had strength, and with that came freedom--perfect independence. Not only that, but she was aware of and confident in her beauty and intelligence and independence. She knew she could have (or not have) the finest man in the world as her husband--accordingly, she was picky. As teenage girls, it's easy for [most of] us to have what I call a "man void." For those of us who can relate, this boils down to our longing to find and settle with our future husband. We tend to gravitate toward the current guys in our life right now, whether or not they're "quality" guys, just because it's so difficult to imagine ourselves marrying somebody we haven't even met yet. "How do I even know a guy like that actually exists? I'll believe it when I see it," we say, "And right now, I see this guy, and he's the best I've found." We don't act like we could have anyone in the world; instead, we take what we can get. That's a dangerous, dangerous road. Every time you find yourself falling for someone low-quality, just imagine yourself as Tamina. You're perfectly independent. You don't NEED a guy. If you do marry someone, he MUST be someone who will actually greatly improve your ability to love and serve God, not someone who will tear you down. Even Tamina looked beyond appearances: when conquerors (against whom she had no power) requested that she marry someone--first Tus, then Dastan--she didn't immediately accept. She said she would rather die than marry Tus! You have that same strength. If a guy isn't worth your effort, don't be so generous with it. Have high standards. God has called you to it. If a guy doesn't meet your high standards, don't expect him to be the one God has for you.
Throughout the movie, I enjoyed watching the (albeit overly-bossy) Tamina as she showcased her independence and strength, even in the face of dealing with attractive men. There isn't much more to learn from the Prince of Persia; nevertheless, this one lesson alone is a priceless jewel. Girls, never forget your identity as God's princess! It's a joy and a privilege too good to surrender.
No comments:
Post a Comment