Are you ready to defeat Sho'nuff?

Here's a peek into my childhood...

While the rest of the world was following the yellow brick road on?The Wizard of Oz, our family was easin' on down the road to the Motown tunes of The Wiz. And although we enjoyed (and still do on occasion) the martial arts prowess of Bruce "the Dragon" Lee, we were (and still are) more connected with the message of Leroy Green - or as we have affectionately called him over the years, Bruce Leroy.

The 1985 film The Last Dragon remains one of my favorite movies of all times. The message behind the movie is one that resonates with me at a deep level; and like The Wiz, its Motown fingerprints enhances its influence in my life.

There are so many nuggets to glean from the movie, but the storyline primarily revolves around identity...specifically, Leroy's unawareness of his. This teenage kid really was the Bruce Lee of Harlem. Others around him knew who he was and what was on the inside of him. But he didn't. Throughout the movie, we see how his lack of confidence in who he was caused him to avoid facing his arch enemy - Sho'nuff, the shogun of Harlem. In his defense, I guess a name like Sho'nuff and facial expressions like his would intimidate anyone.

Keep in mind that this movie is not about organized competition. It's about an evil that was bent on intimidating and destroying anyone it considered a threat to its supremacy. It's also not about a person who didn't have what it took to defeat his enemy. Leroy was well-equipped, and others considered him the best. Yet, we witness someone who was constantly in search of something outside of himself for validation, not realizing that what he was in search of was already on the inside of him. He never WANTED to fight, but if circumstances required him to defend himself or an innocent person, then he was all in...and he always won...except against that ONE enemy. It wasn't until he finally got the full revelation of who he was that he was able to defeat, and practically obliterate, Sho'nuff.

You do realize that we all have at least one Sho'nuff in our lives, right? What is that voice, that thought, that assignment, that God-given dream that intimidates you into being content with playing it safe instead of following where and how God is leading? Even if you live your life trying to avoid Sho'nuff, he will continue to show up at the most opportune times to intimidate and provoke you. At some point, you must finally gain clarity about who you are and embrace, through the Holy Spirit's revelation, the truth of 1 John 4:4 and Ephesians 3:20 for you as you submit to Christ.

Who...or what...is your Sho'nuff? What are the weapons on the inside of you that God has equipped you with so that you can defeat Sho'nuff? Have you identified them?

In the movie, the key that finally unlocked Leroy's understanding of his identity and the power of what was on the inside of him was his vivid recollection of the comments others had spoken to him about him over the course of time. We get a glimpse into his stroll down memory lane during his final battle with Sho'nuff. This is the power of community. This is the power of having others around you who can see in you what you can't see in yourself so that you can properly align yourself with how God is wanting to partner with you.