Kung Fu Panda

 

Who are you? Do you know who you are?

We are a chosen generation

We've been called forth to show His excellence

All I require for life, God has given me

And I know who I am

The above quote is the opening of the powerful song I Know Who I Am by Sinach. It is such a powerful song of declaration. 12 years ago, I watched Kung Fu Panda for the first time during a flight. When I first watched it, I only paid attention to the surface, meaning the entertainment value of the movie. I didn’t know the movie had a meaning and a lesson which we all need to learn. The plot follows the journey of a Panda from been a noodle server at his dad’s restaurant to becoming a mighty warrior and defeating an adversary that even his Sensei aka teacher (Master Shifu) could not defeat. Quite a remarkable journey if you ask me; the zero to hero stories we all like to hear about/watch. But what was the key to unlocking his power? He was trained by his master and learnt from watching his seniors (the Furious Five) but he didn’t come into his own until he knew who he was. The Big Fat Panda! He went from been worried that he was a big fat panda to knowing that he is The Big Fat Panda.

Scene 1

Po: How can I beat Tai Lung? I can’t beat you to the stairs

Master Shifu: You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior

Master Shifu: I can turn you into the Dragon Warrior

Po: How are you gonna change this, into the Dragon Warrior

 

Scene 2

Tai Lung: You’re just a big fat panda

Po: I’m not a big fat panda

Po: I’m the big fat panda

What changed in Po between Scene 1 and Scene 2? He entered a place of knowing. Turned out that the Dragon Scroll didn’t have any magical incantation that held the key to unlimited power. All it had, was a mirror, that reflected you to yourself. It was a way of saying in order to become the Dragon Warrior, know yourself and you will have all the power you will ever need.

As Christians, one of the ways the devil attacks us is by creating an identity crisis. That was what he did in the garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, the serpent created an identity crisis for Adam and Eve by telling them in Gen. 3:5 (NKJV): For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Unfortunately, Eve did not know who she was (Ps. 82:6, John 10:34) and as it turns out, neither did Adam; if only they had read the Minutes of Meeting in Gen. 1:26, they would have known that they were already like God because they were created in His image.

In our journey of life, it is important that you know who you are and never let anyone create an identity crisis. There is power in knowing who you are! As you start a new week, the charge is simple, know who you are. How? Read the bible and believe what God says about you and when next you face an identity crisis, repeat these words: I am a chosen generation, I am called forth to show God’s excellence and He has given me all I need, to do what I need to do. I know who I am, I am what He says I am. I am a child of God!

Movie Title: Kung Fu Panda

Photo Cred: YouVersion

Song Lyrics: AZ Lyrics