Lessons From Katniss

As you know I just finished Reading “The Hunger Games” and I really liked it. Katniss is a great character and heroin. I realized there are a lot of things we can learn from her. Here are a few lessons we can learn from Katniss.

Lesson 1: Let’s start with the most obvious one, her sacrifice for Prim (John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.). Jesus taught us this, and through the “The Hunger Games” story we see a parallel to Jesus’ sacrifice for us, but we also see the example of love and sacrifice we should have for one another in our own family. Are you willing to be a Tribute for your sister, brother, mother, or father?

Lesson 2: Katniss is great with a bow and arrow, and she is not afraid to use them to not only defend herself, but also to release her wrath. God is the same God today as He was in the Old Testament (Psalm 7:12, “If He does not relent, He will sharpen His sword, He will bend and string his bow.”). I will bet He does not miss either. Thank goodness we have our Lord Jesus Christ to intercede for us, or else I would be a “Bang, head shot.”

Lesson 3: Water was life! Without it Katniss and the other Tributes would have died. Those first few days Katniss did not have any water and she was slowing dying. At first she could not understand why Haymitch did not send her any water when she was so desperate. Then she realized that he was not sending it for her own good (2 Peter 2:9, “if so, then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from their trials,”). Haymitch could see the whole picture and knew she was close and heading in the right direction. He knew that by not sending the water, Katniss would keep searching in the right direction, and he would not have to waste an expensive gift.

Katniss is not Jesus, or God, or perfect.

Lesson 4: Katniss selfishly fakes her love for Peeta in front of the cameras to save her own life. She’s very good as showing her love when it matters most, when she really needs to, when she is desperate to save her life. But as soon as they are back home and the cameras are gone, she grows distant from Peeta. We can be a lot like that. When we are in trouble or in the middle of a trial we cry out to the Lord and proclaim we love Him and need His help, but as soon as the trial is over sometimes we slowly forget how much we love Him and we grow distant from Him (Matt. 24:12-13, “and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold. But the person who endures to the end will be saved.”).

Lesson 5: Katniss hates the Career Tributes from the beginning because they are arrogant, and give her hateful looks. I do not blame her, but we have been given a command to forgive. (Col. 3: 12-13, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others.”).

Lesson 6: Katniss knows everyone is watching, so she plays the part to look good and get things from people. As believers, we have people watching us too, and we are to play or rather live the part, but for a different reason (Heb. 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us.” (or the game)).

There are a lot more lessons, but that is enough for this devotional.

So, are you Katniss, Prim, Peeta, Gale, Cato, Rue, Haymitch, or (cue music: dun, dun, dun) President Snow? We will find out in another devotional.

Love Ya,
Dad