I’m thinking about Fezzik this morning.
Some of you will immediately picture the friendly giant. To provide some context for the rest of you, Fezzik is a character from the classic movie The Princess Bride. In fact, he’s the one character in the entire movie without an agenda of his own.
The princess bride herself, Buttercup, wants to be reunited with her true love. Westley wants to rescue Buttercup. (Can you guess who Buttercup’s true love is?)
There’s the cruel prince, Humperdinck, and his adviser Count Rugen, both of whom want to start a war with a rival country. And they’re willing to use anyone and everyone — in whatever way they please — to accomplish their goals.
For this purpose, they choose to use a hired mastermind, Vizzini, who has employed a sword master named Inigo Montoya (the only one with a last name, apparently) and the giant Fezzik as his “muscles.” Vizzini’s agenda is to be the smartest, most unbeatable mastermind in existence. Inigo? Well, he simply wants to avenge his father, a master swordsmith murdered by a six-fingered man.
Then there’s Fezzik. Fezzik is used by others for his massive size and strength. Which means he’s hired as a fighter. But at his core, Fezzik is simply moving through life, taking the jobs that will support him. And somehow, even though those jobs involve working for an egotistical mastermind or serving on Prince Humperdinck’s “brute squad,” Fezzik is nothing but kind-hearted. Everywhere he goes, he seeks to help, encourage, and lend deeper strength to all those around him.
So, why am I thinking of a character form a 40-year-old cult classic? Well, I was thinking this morning about what it means to be strong in my faith. To trust fully in the Rock of my salvation, leaning on Him and then allowing Him to work through me to provide comfort and strength to others. What does it mean for me, someone full of faults and prone to so many missteps, to be used by Almighty God for His purposes and His kingdom?
And I thought of Fezzik.
Not innocent. Not always finding himself in the best of circumstances. But always allowing the beauty of his kind heart to dominate how he treated other people. His employer, no matter how cruel or selfish or egotistical, couldn’t dim his kindness. He was as lighthearted in the presence of Vizzini as he was kind to his friend Inigo or to Buttercup — even when she was his captive. He was loyal. And, by nature, he used his strength to fuel his loyalty and kindness.
No matter where he was. No matter who he worked for. No matter what the task.
I would love to be known for making wise decisions and for being able to handle life with competence. But, in all honesty, if I’m following Jesus well, I’m not always going to be viewed as wise in the eyes of the people around me. Even others who are following Jesus may look askance at some of the choices I make.
But, if I am loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and full of self-control, I can’t go wrong. I will succeed in sharing the character of Christ with all those around me.
I love how God can use anything, even a fun fictional character, to remind me of what His Word says about being more like Jesus.
