Family Movie Devotionals: Spy Kids

In Spy Kids, Carmen and Juni, two normal children, find out that their parents are spies. When their parents are kidnapped, it's up to the kids to become spies and rescue them. They have an exciting adventure, use lots of cool gadgets, and save the day! At the end of the movie, Carmen and Juni are asked to do another mission without their parents. They say no so that they can spend time with their family. Carmen says, "Spy work: that's easy. Keeping  a family together: that's difficult. And that's the mission worth fighting for." While being a spy is fun and exciting, they learn that the normal, everyday stuff they do as a family is more important. That's true in our lives too. We don't have to be doing exciting, unique things for our lives to matter.

God has given us a mission to share the good news of Jesus Christ with people who don't know Him. Sometimes when we think about God's mission, it can seem like too much for us. We might think that only really special super Christians can be on mission for God. We imagine missionaries in far-away, dangerous countries doing exciting things for God. Or we think that only our pastors are smart and skilled enough to tell people about Jesus. We are so thankful for all of the pastors and overseas missionaries sharing the good news of Jesus all over the world!  And if you feel like God is leading you into one of these roles, that would be amazing! But you don't have to be doing something exciting or dangerous to be on mission for God.

If you believe in Jesus you already are a missionary, whether you know it or not. We are all supposed to share the good news of Jesus. But how we do this mission looks different for every person. God put you in your situation for a reason. Everybody needs to hear the good news, including the people you know. Sometimes God's mission looks like being king, loving, and including everyone around you. You can tell them that your kindness, love, and inclusion comes from Jesus. Just like Carmen and Juni learned, the small, boring things we do are just as important as the big, exciting things.

The Bible says, "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24). Our small, simple faithfulness to God in the everyday stuff of life matters. And that's the mission worth fighting for.

Discuss as a family:

• What are some ways you can be on mission for God right now?

These devotionals are resources you can use to teach your kids about Jesus! Movies have a unique ability to connect to and influence children, and we want to use this to advance God's Kingdom. These are designed for you to read with your children after you watch the movie. We pray these will be used to teach children in fun ways that they can easily understand.