What's So "Magical" about Mike?

Hello Friends,
I write this blog post today, not to be condemning of those who watched the movie, nor to tear down the the people posting status updates, or even to remark about the vulgarity of the movie itself. I write this post today for the simplicity of describing what this movie has brought out in our generation.

The story of a 30 year old stripper who lives his life in hope of doing what he truly loves. He is turned away time and time again at the bank, for his credit wouldn't allow him to accomplish the dream he holds so dear. So he works time and time again, month after month, as a man who gorges on the attention of women, for what though? Is it only the money? Is it only the immediate satisfaction of being wanted? Is it only for the hope of maybe one day finding someone who will love him for him?

I tell you what is so "magical" about Mike is not the fact that his dancing could take your breath away or his abs look like they have been created by a computer...its the fact that this Mike is like each one of us. 


"Mike" might be a character in a movie that came out in the Summer of 2012, but the definition of this Mike was depicted a long time ago. How about David? The man after God's own heart, yeah do you remember him? Yes, he slept with one of his soldiers wives and then had that soldier killed?

"Mike" right? 

Or what about Paul, killing those who believed in Jesus?


"Mike" right? 

Or what about the prostitute who turned into the spy who hid those traveling through?

"Mike" right? 

I tell you this right now, each one of us has a "Mike" inside of us, but each one of us has the capability to have "Jesus" to overcome that Mike. Each day is a battle to discover who we are, what we long for, who we long to impress, and what we long to do to make us "happy."


Covering my news feed for the past two weeks has been condemnation for this movie and the book Fifty Shades of Grey. I can't tell you that I agree that each of them is right, but I can tell you that no one on my news feed, including myself, has not fallen victim to the "sins" of those two topics. 

I ask you to ask yourself why you find "Mike" so appealing? I had to ask myself the same question, and as I sat there and watched this story of Mike, I realized why...He was just like me.

A man trying his best to make it with what life had offered him. So many people looking down on him for his career, so he spent his life tarrying away at many jobs to try and find the one job that made him supremely happy. There is a part in the movie where the girl asks him if he could wake up and do anything in this world, what would it be? He says "I would wake up on the beach and every morning make something new..." In this quote he is talking about custom furniture, but I dare to ask you to contemplate the similarity with this scripture:

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him." Lamentations 3:22-24

I do understand that stretching a quote from a rated "R" movie to the Holy Bible is very wide scope, but what did Jesus do? He went to the rated "R" territories of each city to share His love, His joy, and His forgiveness. 

I ask that we do the same as Jesus.

I do not recommend reading the book and in no way do I recommend seeing the movie. All I do recommend is that instead of using this as a tool to rant legalism, may we use as a tool to be reminded why we as Christians are here. I saw the movie, and yes, the whole time I knew I shouldn't be watching this...but you know what stopped me? The love of Christ...I knew that I would write this blog and I knew I wanted to be sitting on the other side of that big screen so that you could sit on the other side of this screen and hopefully,  His love would come to you.

God forgives you, Jesus saves you, and the Holy Spirit empowers you. May you remember that the "Mike" inside of you doesn't win, that that "Mike" will fail, but the Jesus inside of you never will. He will strengthen you to face that challenge you have today, to embark on that new journey you are being called to, and help you overcome that heartache that feels so defeating.


So there might be a "Magical Mike" that covers my news feed and the big screens of many movie theaters and soon the eyes of many women, but I tell you there is a man that covered a tree and that was buried in a tomb and rose again and that will soon come again that is far more "Magical" than anything Hollywood could dream possible. 


As I said before, I watched the movie so I don't sit here condemning, but I do sit here convicted to tell you this, that Jesus loves all, including "Magic Mike."