Lessons learned from Saved By The Bell
Saved By The Bell was a teen comedy series that aired from 1989-1992 but has been on the air somewhere every year since in syndication. I didn't watch it until 10 or 12 years ago when my daughter, Abby, discovered Zach and the gang. We have watched it ever sense. It is definitely not intellectual TV but it is a clean show and somehow has gotten funnier over the years. I think I have seen each episode so many times that I am now laughing at myself for laughing at the lame jokes the show is filled with.
Over the years I have learned a lot by watching Saved By The Bell. The first thing was their school, Bayside, was much cooler than my high school or any high school for that matter. They didn't
have a cafeteria, instead they always ate at a nearby restaurant, The Max. They could come and go to the Max anytime they wanted even during classes. They ordered burgers, fries, shakes and drinks but hardly every paid for any of it. They used The Max as their hangout, for school events, and for what ever else they needed it for.
Then there was the actual classes. They could go in and out of class anytime they felt like it. They hardly ever had homework or test. When they did it was a group project or by some unforeseen reason it never had to be turned in. The teachers were all crazy or weird but never boring. The principal had nothing to do but hang out with the kids and they had the same locker every year. There were plays, dances, sporting events, debates, and some kind of contest almost every week.
There was some good lessons on the show too. There was of course the standard lessons shows of that time period did. There was the "Don't do drugs" episode where the "star" that was chosen to do commercial with the kids from Bayside was doing drugs so the kids had to out him. There was the don't drink and drive episode where some of the kids wrecked a car and had to get it fixed. Then there were shows that showed cheating didn't work, telling lies was wrong, and teaching that friendships were important. The show had many episodes you could take a real lesson from.
Like the episode we watched this morning. Zach the "bad boy" of the gang was realizing that his
legacy at the school was going to be Bayside's biggest goof off. As he realized that was his legacy he also realized that was not the one he wanted to leave. So he sat out to make sure he wrote Bayside a new school song. The trouble was he wanted to do it on his own and not with the group so he had to sabotage everyone else's song to make sure his won the contest. Which of course backfired on him when the rest of the gang figured out what was going on. Lesson learned loud and clear. Don't wait until the end to worry about your legacy. It is too late to change what has already been done.
I wonder if Christians realize that. We live our life the way we want to and then towards the end of our life we want to be remembered for all the great things we didn't do. I have been a part of funerals where the family wanted the those doing the funerals to do speak about the deceased's church involvement and how Godly of a person they were. The trouble was the deceased was just a name on the membership roll. There was very little attendance and even less involvement.
From time to time I have had people ask me to put me down as a job reference. Some make it clear they want me to talk about their dedication to the church and all of the things they do. Some will even go as far to remind me of things they did in the past or they will make the little things they have done look so much bigger. I always tell them I will be glad to give them a reference and that I will be honest. I don't always get calls after that. For those that are active in the church and dedicated to God's work I want let the caller know how dedicated and about their hard work but if there is no dedication and hard work I want to tell the truth.
The thing about legacies is that they are built by your actions not your words, excuses or intentions. You never heard anybody say, "I will remember Brother Smith as a great church worker. He never got to work in the church but that was because he was so busy doing other things but he had the greatest intentions of anybody I know so I will remember him as if he had completed those intentions." We would laugh if somebody said that but yet that is the way we want to be remembered. You have heard preachers at funerals say the deceased preached their funeral with their life and they are speaking a truth not just delivering an over used cliché. Your legacy is already in place. There is nothing the preacher can say at your funeral to make you a better person. Your life has already spoken.
So take it from Zach, worry about your legacy now and not after it is to late. Don't use the cliché, "They know my heart" because that is truer than you think. Your fruit shows your heart. Your actions show your heart. Your lack of actions show your heart. Your life shows your heart. You intensions, excuses and words only make you feel better. They do nothing for anyone else. You want to be remembered as a good parent? Be one. You want to be known as a good spouse? Be one. You want the church to remember you as a good church member? Be one.
Parting Thought: A pessimist is someone who, when opportunity knocks, complains about the noise.
Over the years I have learned a lot by watching Saved By The Bell. The first thing was their school, Bayside, was much cooler than my high school or any high school for that matter. They didn't
Then there was the actual classes. They could go in and out of class anytime they felt like it. They hardly ever had homework or test. When they did it was a group project or by some unforeseen reason it never had to be turned in. The teachers were all crazy or weird but never boring. The principal had nothing to do but hang out with the kids and they had the same locker every year. There were plays, dances, sporting events, debates, and some kind of contest almost every week.
There was some good lessons on the show too. There was of course the standard lessons shows of that time period did. There was the "Don't do drugs" episode where the "star" that was chosen to do commercial with the kids from Bayside was doing drugs so the kids had to out him. There was the don't drink and drive episode where some of the kids wrecked a car and had to get it fixed. Then there were shows that showed cheating didn't work, telling lies was wrong, and teaching that friendships were important. The show had many episodes you could take a real lesson from.
Like the episode we watched this morning. Zach the "bad boy" of the gang was realizing that his
I wonder if Christians realize that. We live our life the way we want to and then towards the end of our life we want to be remembered for all the great things we didn't do. I have been a part of funerals where the family wanted the those doing the funerals to do speak about the deceased's church involvement and how Godly of a person they were. The trouble was the deceased was just a name on the membership roll. There was very little attendance and even less involvement.
From time to time I have had people ask me to put me down as a job reference. Some make it clear they want me to talk about their dedication to the church and all of the things they do. Some will even go as far to remind me of things they did in the past or they will make the little things they have done look so much bigger. I always tell them I will be glad to give them a reference and that I will be honest. I don't always get calls after that. For those that are active in the church and dedicated to God's work I want let the caller know how dedicated and about their hard work but if there is no dedication and hard work I want to tell the truth.
The thing about legacies is that they are built by your actions not your words, excuses or intentions. You never heard anybody say, "I will remember Brother Smith as a great church worker. He never got to work in the church but that was because he was so busy doing other things but he had the greatest intentions of anybody I know so I will remember him as if he had completed those intentions." We would laugh if somebody said that but yet that is the way we want to be remembered. You have heard preachers at funerals say the deceased preached their funeral with their life and they are speaking a truth not just delivering an over used cliché. Your legacy is already in place. There is nothing the preacher can say at your funeral to make you a better person. Your life has already spoken.
So take it from Zach, worry about your legacy now and not after it is to late. Don't use the cliché, "They know my heart" because that is truer than you think. Your fruit shows your heart. Your actions show your heart. Your lack of actions show your heart. Your life shows your heart. You intensions, excuses and words only make you feel better. They do nothing for anyone else. You want to be remembered as a good parent? Be one. You want to be known as a good spouse? Be one. You want the church to remember you as a good church member? Be one.
Parting Thought: A pessimist is someone who, when opportunity knocks, complains about the noise.
Ouch. . .
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