Wisdom From WALL-E

I was brushing my teeth this morning, when I overheard one of my sons utter the phrase, “Acquisition Confirmed.” He was playing by himself with his Hot Wheels, and at first I thought I didn’t hear correctly since the toothbrush noise in my head was too loud. However, as I stopped and listened, He said it again. “Acquisition Confirmed!”

I didn’t realize my son knew such words. There was a moment of pride and a flash-forward to the Nobel Prize Ceremony that would come in just a few years, before I realized that what he was saying was him just repeating words he’s heard in a movie.

You see, on Sunday afternoons, the only way my wife and I get any kind of downtime, albeit a very short downtime, is to have what we call “Quiet Time” with the boys. They don’t really nap anymore, so we usually put in one of their movies, hoping that at least they’ll sit still and get some rest that way while we snooze on the couch and in the recliner.

One of their favorites to watch over and over again, (much to our dismay) is the recent Pixar release, “WALL E.” Now, I’ll be the first to admit, I thought it was clever, but there’s only so many times I can watch that movie! However, my boys love it, so we cave in if it means an hour and twenty-eight minutes of peace.

Near the end of the movie, there is a scene where the ship’s main computer (sorry if you’re lost—see the movie) gathers a plant sample, and says the words, “Acquisition Confirmed.” This is what my son was repeating this morning. Mystery Solved. So long pride…Nobel Prize, you may still happen.

What scared me was that even though I consider my sons incredibly gifted and intelligent (from their Mother’s side, I’m sure), this was still a mouthful to remember and repeat. What I realized is that sometimes even the most complicated thoughts and ideas can get into our minds and stay there. This is dangerous, because the world is constantly throwing stuff at us.

Sometimes it’s very complicated mumbo-jumbo that tickles our ears and our desires to be independent and “free.” Other times it’s simple and sounds like “conventional wisdom.” Whatever description you want to put inside the quotation marks, the point is, too many times we let it into our minds and thoughts because it sounds good, so it must be true. At other times, we don’t even realize we are letting it in, and are not aware of the influence these things have on us.

There’s an old song that says the words: “Be careful little ears what you hear…for the Father up above, He is watching down with Love, so be careful little ears what you hear.” The idea is simply that God is always aware of what goes into our minds through what we hear. If we’re serious about honoring Him, we should pray about any new ideas we think sound great, and then measure them against His Word before we determine that it’s a new, wonderful way of thinking.

I certainly have nothing against thinking for yourself. In fact, when you do make the decision to honor God on your own, I believe it actually means more to Him than a forced decision. Just be consistent—Seek Him on all things, and look for His wisdom and direction when faced with the world. He is faithful, and while this is admittedly very, VERY cheesy, by staying committed to Him, you are one of those who becomes an “Acquisition Confirmed.”