The latest RPG I have been playing through has been Tales Of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World.
I just reviewed this game over at Geeks Under Grace, so since it’s fresh I decided to write about the two main characters, Emil and Marta. They are the focus of the game, while the main characters from the original Tales Of Symphonia play side roles to help you complete the journey. Emil, though, struggles with a split personality and it’s actually pretty violent. When he is in battle, he goes into Ratatosk Mode, which is where the power of Lord Ratatosk helps Emil fight (the point of the game is to revive Ratatosk and restore balance to the world).
More Than One Emil
Emil has a hard time with this though, because not only does he forget everything that happened while he’s in this mode, his split personality is violent and rude to his friends. When he returns back to himself, he has to apologize and try to figure out what was going on and why his other “self” was acting that way. Marta, who has a huge crush on Emil, gets along just fine with Emil’s normal self but when he transforms, this “other” Emil messes up everything.
Emil is the perfect example of, ironically, someone who is double minded. Not only does he have a split personality, but you will see his lack of decision making cause problems for the party and the adventure. He is either afraid to do something or he isn’t sure, so then the other Emil comes in at times to make the decision for him.
James 1:6-8
6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
People are often divided between God and the world, as the Apostle James states, and they can’t decide who to serve. It’s either they want to sin or do what they want to do and disobey God’s laws, or do His will, which at times isn’t what we want to do (though it always leads to the best outcome). Emil is the same; he wants to do the right thing, but he can’t decide. You then see this other Emil come in and make a decision that Emil didn’t want to make, but his hesitation caused it to happen.
Do you see yourself in a similar position as Emil? Are you not following God’s will for your life, because you want to do it your own way? You might not be sure what to do, but when you seek His face through prayer, reading the bible, and asking for wisdom from a spiritual authority in your life (pastor, elder, someone with more years as a believer than yourself), you will get the answer.
Making The Right Choice
Psalm 27:8
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
God wants to help us make the right decision, not be led astray by other voices. I’m not saying you hear voices in your head (though some people do, and that’s demonic, but we can leave that for another post!), but maybe it’s a bad influence in your life or just a lack of decision. We need to be good stewards of our lives and the choices that God has given us to make, filter them through His word, and choose life over death so we can live and prosper.
Deuteronomy 30:19
19 “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!
Emil finally makes some choices to straighten things out with himself, but many mistakes could have been avoided along the way. Throughout your day, see what it is you need to do, and if you’re not sure what to do, pray and ask God. Don’t be afraid to ask you’re Heavenly Father for an answer; He is always available to you. Unlike Emil, we have access through Christ to Heaven. God is there for us and wants to help us overcome our obstacles and live a good life while we are here.
