Background: In case you haven't seen the movie here is a little background. Tangled is a story about Rapunzel with her long golden hair. She was born a princess and her hair had magical powers which could bring healing. As a baby she was kidnapped by an evil woman, Gothel, and placed in a tower so high she could never get free. Gothel kidnapped Rapunzel because the power of Rapunzel's hair keeps Gothel young forever. Rapunzel grows up believing that Gothel is her mother. Gothel tells her that she must never leave the tower because of evil people would mistreat her and use her for her hair. Rapunzel longs to enter the world she sees from her tower but her trust in her "mother" Gothel keeps her locked up in the tower.
Scene 1: There is one scene in the movie when Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time in her life. She has felt called to the outside world but is torn because she feels she is rebelling against her mother. The scene cuts back and forth between the different emotions Rapunzel feels:
She is dancing and doing cartwheels in a field of flowers.
The next second she is crying because she is afraid. She remembers all the things her "mother" would tell her about why she must stay locked up in the tower.
The next second she is running and screaming with joy "I'm free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The next second she is feeling like the worst person in the world for leaving the tower.
This continues on for several rounds but you get the idea. Perhaps it's a female thing but I could totally relate. Before my season of rest, fear was beginning to have a strong hold in my life. I've been dealing with the fear of death, the fear of failure, the fear of loving my family with abandonment and more. During my time off I've dealt with all the emotions Rapunzel experienced. I love being free and God would speak to me about being free and my heart would leap for joy. Later, however, the places of fear would remind me why I want to stay locked up and not care anymore. It has been a back and forth emotional teeter-totter as God has been wooing me out of fear into trusting Him.
Scene 2: This scene was the most powerful scene for me because it "revealed the face of fear" to me. Rapunzel eventually realizes that Gothel is not her true mother and as it dawns on her she tells Gothel:
"All along you have been telling me that you kept me
here to protect me from others,
while the truth of the matter is that you
were keeping me here for your own selfish gain."
That was extremely eye-opening for me. Rapunzel had believed everything Gothel had been telling her because she believed Gothel was telling her those things to protect her. She realizes, however, that Gothel only said those things to protect herself and it has nothing to do Rapunzel's own good. As you know, I believe we are in a spiritual battle with the enemy. The words from this scene revealed the motives of the enemy. He absolutely loves it when we choose to let fear reign in our lives because it keeps us holed up and out of his way. Yes, fear can masquerade for a while as something good and something that protects you but soon you begin to realize that this isn't where you belong. As I heard this, it helped me to see that living in these places of fear is not for my good or benefit it is actually for the enemy's benefit and he would more than love to keep whispering these lies and keeping me entangled for his gain.
Whenever God reveals to me the lies I've been living under I ask Him to replace that area with His truth. So here is what the voice of Truth has to say about fear:
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear,
but of power and of love and of a sound mind.
Romans 8:15
The Spirit you received does not make you slaves,
so that you live in fear again;
rather, the Spirit
you received brought about your adoption to sonship.
And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”
John 10:2-3
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
In Christ,
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