The Karate Kid - Crosswalk the Devotional - August 21

Truths observed at the intersection of faith and life by Crosswalk.com editors [Crosswalk.com Logo]( Crosswalk: The Devotional [Devotionals]( [Newsletters]( [e-Cards]( The Karate Kid by Ryan Duncan But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. – [Matthew 5:39]( When it comes to old [movies]( there’s really no beating the 1984 Karate Kid. It’s the classic coming-of-age story of a young boy who finds his potential with the help of a wise, old man. Of course, back then all I cared about were the awesome fight scenes. The first time I saw the movie I must have spent a week doing “Crane kicks” around the house like an inebriated flamingo. Those same action sequences haven’t aged well, and these days The Karate Kid looks downright corny, but the film still contains some valuable lessons for people who listen. At one point in the movie Daniel grows frustrated with his training. He’s tired of being bullied, tired of being treated like a loser, he wants some payback and karate seems like the best way to get it. Mr. Miyagi listens patiently as his young pupil vents his anger, then pulls him aside and in broken English tries to explain the essence of what he’s teaching. Pointing to his head, Miyagi says, “Daniel san, karate here.” He then points to his heart and says “Karate here.” Lastly, he points at his fists and say, “karate never, never here.” The Karate Kid might be a cheesy movie, but I think a lot of Christians could take a lesson from Mr. Miyagi. It bothers me how often I hear pastors and Christian leaders say things like, “We’re soldiers in the army of God”, “We’re fighting a Culture War”, or “The line is being drawn in the sand”. I understand how hard it is to live as a Christian in modern culture, believe me, but that doesn’t mean we start living our [faith]( with our fists. In fact, that sounds almost counter to what Jesus told his disciples to do. [CONTINUE READING →]( You May Also Like: [7 Questions You Should Ask before Getting a Tattoo]( Will Honeycutt Don’t make this decision hastily or rashly. Use these guiding questions to think through your decision. [CONTINUE READING →]( [10 Things Everyone Should Know about Jehovah's Witnesses and Their Beliefs]( Veronica Neffinger We answer the questions of how they got their start, what their core beliefs are, and how many people ascribe to this faith in the world today below. [CONTINUE READING →](                       Bible Trivia Question of the Day                                       How did the enemies of the Israelites try to stop them from rebuilding the temple? A. by force B. troubling and frustrating them C. by sending a letter to the king D. all of the above [ANSWER THE QUESTION →]( [Crosswalk.com Logo]( [Read about Salem Web Network]( | [Unsubscribe]( [Email Preference Center]( | [View in Browser]( © 2021 Salem Web Network. All rights reserved. 111 Virginia Street, Suite 200, Richmond, VA 23219. This email is never sent unsolicited. You are receiving this email because your email address, {EMAIL}, is signed up to receive newsletters, updates, and special offers from Crosswalk.com - The Devotional. [Link](