Squidward In Paul David Tripp's The Quest For More
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Rise Up
In 1999, the cartoon character, Squidward, was introduced in the SpongeBob Squarepants pilot. He’s since become well-known as a cynical curmudgeon whose disdain for his neighbors (SpongeBob and Patrick) makes for many foils in nearly every episode of the long running cartoon.
Among other states of mind, Squidward lives in constant self-pity and general misery. He’s discontent with his ordinary life, desiring one of wealth and fame by way of a career as a musician or painter, which he pursues with a pretentious attitude that alienates him from others. Though his character is highly relatable to many, Common Sense Media named him as one of the 10 Worst TV Role Models of 2012 for his utter selfishness, saying he’s “nice only when he…show more content… Taking his place is our own self interest.
Paul David Tripp accentuates this point in “The Quest for More: Living for something bigger than you.” In it, he explores the way people are drawn to living for and working toward the building up of little kingdoms and big kingdoms. In the simplest explanations, little kingdom living is shaped by the pursuit of and reveling in earth-bound pleasures. It breeds anxiety and places one’s self at the center by shrinking everything to the size of the individual life.
On the other hand, big kingdom living places Christ at the rightful center of everything in one’s life. Every thought, act, deed, and desire point to Christ and building up the kingdom of God. It breeds a desire to live for higher purposes and doesn’t shrink life to any one individual…show more content… It’s because they spent enormous time and effort toward one stage of their lives only to rise up from their places, become new creatures and serve greater desires elsewhere or in a new way. They are not mere cartoon characters like Mr. Burns or Squidward. They are genuine and true servants of God who once were lost and wandering sheep, living and serving their own little kingdoms.
Like the dragonfly, they and we Christians are preparing to rise up and live in the glory of eternity of the big kingdom. But it requires big kingdom thinking both here and now. When we live for Christ and by His grace, we recover our true humanity, leading us to discover the real reasons and purposes for which we were created. With Christ as our source, we measure and live not according to our human potential or man-made metrics, but by the unending grace and centrality of God.
“God’s revelation doesn’t crush our creativity. Rather, it becomes the context in which our creativity can soar to heights previously unimagined.” We can restore, reconcile and bring hope to ourselves and others, transforming lives and