Lately I've been thinking a lot about what college will be like for me. I've also been watching a little bit of this Survivor season that aired a couple years ago, Survivor: Redemption Island. Now I know what you're thinking. Really Jack, you gotta bring up Survivor again? I'm done reading this! Hang on for a second. There's a lot more to this than you might initially think. So please, stay with me.
Still reading? Sure hope so! Anyway, on Survivor: Redemption Island, there is a new twist on the show. For the 21 seasons that aired before this one, if someone was voted out, they were immediately eliminated from the game (well, except for season 7 Pearl Islands... but we won't talk about that!). However on season 22, once someone was voted out, they were sent to Redemption Island, where they would compete in a duel to stay alive in the game against whoever was on Redemption Island before them. Once the two tribes got down to the merge, whoever was left on Redemption Island would get to come back in to the game. RI reset after that, and was then used up until the final five. Think of it as a double-elimination bracket. It gave players a second chance, as well as life in the game.
Days before the game started, a 22-year-old kid from Nashville was relaxing and planning how he would dominate the game. He had watched a bunch of old seasons of the show before going out there, hoping he could lie and manipulate people to help him get to where he wanted to be: The Sole Survivor and the winner of a million dollars. All the sudden he had a voice in his head. The voice was telling him to play the game to honor him, and base his decisions on what that voice told him to do. That kid was pre-med student Matt Elrod and that voice was the Holy Spirit. Early on Matt decided he wouldn't play a game for himself, but instead for God's glory.
Matt's way of playing the game got him blindsided, and sent to Redemption Island on day 6.While it was frustrating for him and it wasn't the way he wanted his game to go, God was working in the situation for something greater. Go ahead and watch this clip.
Matt remarkably won six straight duels to come back in to the game at the merge. He was tempted to make a big move that could take him to the end of the game, but instead decided to play the way God wanted him to and go back and play with the people that had voted him out the first time. Not long after making this decision, he was sent back to Redemption Island at the very next tribal council upon returning, by the same people that voted him out the first time. Matt was even more crushed the second time. Living on an island by himself was wearing on him, and now he had to go right back and trust that God was using him.
Matt survived every duel there was until the last one, when his friend Andrea won and she returned to the game. So that was Matt's Survivor experience. Many were calling it a fail, and calling him a foolish kid. But there was nothing foolish about Matt. While Matt did not win the million dollars, he was playing for something greater. It might not make any sense to someone that isn't a Christian. Watch this.
Fellow castaway Julie Wolfe went on the island to win the money but in her own words, she "walked away with something greater". Matt's faith inspired her and she decided it was something she wanted. In post-show interviews, she talks about how she got herself plugged in to a church, and how Christ has changed her life.
Here's a little snippet from a blog on Christianity Today:
In recent interviews, Wolfe, a firefighter, has said that Elrod's outspoken faith showed her "that I was on Survivor for a reason and I have had a rebirth, a relationship with God." In another interview, she said, "I went there . . . to win that million and I left with a bigger prize. There's no price tag on it. I went home and found a great church. I have a renewed relationship with God. All that financial stress that was on me has been lifted. That million dollars ... what money? I got so much more out of the game. I'm very grateful."
Wolfe also said, "My whole life has changed. I was sad to leave the game, but I was really looking forward to my new life." She said she was now attending Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego.
It was awesome to see a person come to Jesus on a television show. Something that was not shown on CBS however was that fellow castaway Mike Chiesl, an Iraqi War veteran, also came to know Christ through Matt on Redemption Island. Here's a piece from a different article, this one on ChristianPost.com:
Mike Chiesl, the 31-year-old Iraq War veteran from California, said he was also inspired by Matt's story. In an email to The Christian Post, Chiesl said, "I did not grow up in a religious family, but after turning 30 I knew that I needed to dive into the Bible and work on my spiritual self."
Chiesl said Redemption Island provided him and others the opportunity to mull over the Word of God.
"It was really great to have a Bible in the game," he told CP. "There can be some substantial down time and opening up some discussions on God's word is one of the best things we can do. It had a great impact on Julie – she is now with [me] at our Bible-based church in San Diego."
Chiesl said of his resulting experience, "It was a journey that I took with others and was able to learn more about myself and develop my relationship with Christ."
Matt remarkably won six straight duels to come back in to the game at the merge. He was tempted to make a big move that could take him to the end of the game, but instead decided to play the way God wanted him to and go back and play with the people that had voted him out the first time. Not long after making this decision, he was sent back to Redemption Island at the very next tribal council upon returning, by the same people that voted him out the first time. Matt was even more crushed the second time. Living on an island by himself was wearing on him, and now he had to go right back and trust that God was using him.
Matt survived every duel there was until the last one, when his friend Andrea won and she returned to the game. So that was Matt's Survivor experience. Many were calling it a fail, and calling him a foolish kid. But there was nothing foolish about Matt. While Matt did not win the million dollars, he was playing for something greater. It might not make any sense to someone that isn't a Christian. Watch this.
Fellow castaway Julie Wolfe went on the island to win the money but in her own words, she "walked away with something greater". Matt's faith inspired her and she decided it was something she wanted. In post-show interviews, she talks about how she got herself plugged in to a church, and how Christ has changed her life.
Here's a little snippet from a blog on Christianity Today:
In recent interviews, Wolfe, a firefighter, has said that Elrod's outspoken faith showed her "that I was on Survivor for a reason and I have had a rebirth, a relationship with God." In another interview, she said, "I went there . . . to win that million and I left with a bigger prize. There's no price tag on it. I went home and found a great church. I have a renewed relationship with God. All that financial stress that was on me has been lifted. That million dollars ... what money? I got so much more out of the game. I'm very grateful."
Wolfe also said, "My whole life has changed. I was sad to leave the game, but I was really looking forward to my new life." She said she was now attending Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego.
It was awesome to see a person come to Jesus on a television show. Something that was not shown on CBS however was that fellow castaway Mike Chiesl, an Iraqi War veteran, also came to know Christ through Matt on Redemption Island. Here's a piece from a different article, this one on ChristianPost.com:
Mike Chiesl, the 31-year-old Iraq War veteran from California, said he was also inspired by Matt's story. In an email to The Christian Post, Chiesl said, "I did not grow up in a religious family, but after turning 30 I knew that I needed to dive into the Bible and work on my spiritual self."
Chiesl said Redemption Island provided him and others the opportunity to mull over the Word of God.
"It was really great to have a Bible in the game," he told CP. "There can be some substantial down time and opening up some discussions on God's word is one of the best things we can do. It had a great impact on Julie – she is now with [me] at our Bible-based church in San Diego."
Chiesl said of his resulting experience, "It was a journey that I took with others and was able to learn more about myself and develop my relationship with Christ."
So there you have it. While Matt didn't win the game he so badly wanted to win, he won in a different way. He was able to reach people with the gospel, a much greater prize. There are so many Earthly things we can grow attached to, or desire, but eventually all those things will fade, and only one thing will matter.
So where am I going with all of this? Well, I really wanted to explore the theme of redemption. I'm sorry to bore you with all my Survivor talk. I'm sure some people have stopped reading by now, but I'm hoping at least someone is reading.
I've been thinking about college being my redemption island. I screwed a lot of stuff up in high school. Like, actually a lot. I wasn't much of a hard worker and I didn't do very well when it came to grades. But here I am, starting college in less than a month. Everything I did (or didn't do) in high school does not matter. It's a fresh start. It's new life. Just like in the game of Survivor. And I have a chance to reinvent myself as a hard-worker.
If there is anything that can be learned from the 22nd season of Survivor, it's that redemption goes beyond just a reality television game show. While Boston Rob Mariano dominated the game on this season, this season ultimately revolved around the theme of redemption, and in some ways, this was Matt's season. Check that. It was God's season. God used Matt to work in the lives of these people that were playing the game with him. God is the ultimate redeemer. He's offered us the free gift of salvation. Now that is redemption.
So here I am, going on my own redemption island. And what am I going to do with it? The answer should be, to let God use me however he can. To go hard and work hard. To let God be glorified by my work. We weren't created to just sit around all day. We were created to serve God. Worship isn't something we just do at church. No, it's something we should be doing in every aspect of our lives. We should be worshiping God by doing our best in our work, whatever that work may be.
Colossians 3:23-24 reads, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
I plan to work hard, and give it all for God on redemption island. The way Matt Elrod did. Things may get difficult, and I might not know why, but there is a greater picture, and God is ultimately working through those situations. It won't always be easy. It might be difficult for me to get adjusted to living in a dorm room, eating cafeteria food (instead of my mother's amazing cooking!) and be away from my family, friends, and loved ones. But God will still be there for me, and I will have to depend on him. I take comfort in knowing God.
I'm not quite sure how I can wrap up this blog in my own words, so I will leave it to Matt. Check out this one last cool video Matt did for I Am Second. I think he nailed it.
So where am I going with all of this? Well, I really wanted to explore the theme of redemption. I'm sorry to bore you with all my Survivor talk. I'm sure some people have stopped reading by now, but I'm hoping at least someone is reading.
I've been thinking about college being my redemption island. I screwed a lot of stuff up in high school. Like, actually a lot. I wasn't much of a hard worker and I didn't do very well when it came to grades. But here I am, starting college in less than a month. Everything I did (or didn't do) in high school does not matter. It's a fresh start. It's new life. Just like in the game of Survivor. And I have a chance to reinvent myself as a hard-worker.
If there is anything that can be learned from the 22nd season of Survivor, it's that redemption goes beyond just a reality television game show. While Boston Rob Mariano dominated the game on this season, this season ultimately revolved around the theme of redemption, and in some ways, this was Matt's season. Check that. It was God's season. God used Matt to work in the lives of these people that were playing the game with him. God is the ultimate redeemer. He's offered us the free gift of salvation. Now that is redemption.
So here I am, going on my own redemption island. And what am I going to do with it? The answer should be, to let God use me however he can. To go hard and work hard. To let God be glorified by my work. We weren't created to just sit around all day. We were created to serve God. Worship isn't something we just do at church. No, it's something we should be doing in every aspect of our lives. We should be worshiping God by doing our best in our work, whatever that work may be.
Colossians 3:23-24 reads, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ."
I plan to work hard, and give it all for God on redemption island. The way Matt Elrod did. Things may get difficult, and I might not know why, but there is a greater picture, and God is ultimately working through those situations. It won't always be easy. It might be difficult for me to get adjusted to living in a dorm room, eating cafeteria food (instead of my mother's amazing cooking!) and be away from my family, friends, and loved ones. But God will still be there for me, and I will have to depend on him. I take comfort in knowing God.
I'm not quite sure how I can wrap up this blog in my own words, so I will leave it to Matt. Check out this one last cool video Matt did for I Am Second. I think he nailed it.
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