I want to offer three takeaways for us as followers of Christ that are depicted in the life of Fred Rogers in the movie, “It’s a Beautiful Day.” There are three “I-words” for you to consider: Integrity, Inspiration and Intentionality.
Let’s start with the first word, INTEGRITY.
Take a look at this movie clip where Lloyd suggested Mr. Rogers plays a character on the show that is different from who he is in real life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sxu9y_-wIAA
He said, “There’s you, Fred, and then there’s the character you play, Mr. Rogers.” I suppose it is an easy assumption to make, I mean, Mr. Rogers was on TV. People on TV played roles. They were actors. They weren’t doctors, for example, they only played one on TV. Lloyd was trying to get the story below the story except there was no story below the story, no dirt below the deck, because Fred Rogers was Fred Rogers at home, at the grocery store, in his neighborhood and in his make-believe neighborhood on TV. He was the same everywhere he went. There was no character versus real life Mr. Rogers. His show was an accurate portrayal of his real-life values and character. Fred Rogers was a man of integrity, and that integrity flowed from his relationship with Christ.
Listen, more than knowledge, more than talent, more than a network of friends, if you want to leave an impact on this world, if you want to leave the imprint of Jesus on the people around you, you have to have integrity. Mr. Rogers had incredible integrity.
When I think of a Bible character who possessed incredible integrity, Daniel, in the Old Testament, comes to mind. He was a Hebrew, who was taken into captivity in Babylon. Daniel 1:4 tells us that he had great intellect. We also read in Daniel 1:8 that he was focused and determined. He lived with great intention to please God. The Scripture says that he purposed in his heart that he wouldn’t eat the food the King asked him to eat because it had been sacrificed to idols which would have gone against his relationship with God. We know Daniel was also a man who had great insight. He could interpret people’s dreams and things like handwriting that appeared on a wall, and he knew they were words and warnings from God. But none of those attributes, his intellect, his intention, or his insight, would have taken him where God wanted him to go if he didn’t also possess great integrity.
Integrity set Daniel apart. Look at Daniel 6:3 from the ESV: “Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps because an excellent spirit was in him.” That excellent spirit is also known as integrity. It refers to choosing to do the right thing in any circumstance. It involves consistency of character and conduct. It means you are the same in public as you are in private. It speaks about a moral excellence with which you live your life.
You see, integrity doesn’t just mean we are a good person, but it means we are God’s person and that we do things God’s way. A Christian’s integrity is based on a much higher standard than some worldly goodness. It is based on the perfection of Christ and our desire to be like Him. Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”
Integrity with the Lord will keep you safe, friends. This Scripture was proven to be true when Daniel, God’s man, continued to pray to the God of Heaven even after the King’s edict to pray only to the King was proclaimed. It earned him a spot in the lion’s den, but hallelujah, the God of Heaven, entered that lion’s den and shut the lion’s mouths, keeping Daniel protected, keeping him safe. That is what happens for the Christian man or woman of integrity who has cultivated a humble and dependence on God.
And people of integrity wind up shaping the culture instead of being shaped by it. We read in Daniel 6:25-27 that because of Daniel’s integrity, because he continued to be the same man of God he had always been and continued in his praying to God, the King actually issued a new edict that Daniel’s God would be the God of his kingdom. Wow! You want to see things change in our community, in our country, in our world? Live as a Christian with integrity.
The second word I would use to describe Fred Rogers is INSPIRATION.
Take a look at this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uu-HrDA5Pm8
Lloyd’s dad was an alcoholic. He had run out on Lloyd and his sister when their mother got sick, leaving them to care for her until her death. There was a lot of hurt. Many years of distance and pain took place. But then Lloyd encountered Mister Rogers, a man who would openly share his love for all people, a man who would listen to you and your problems as if he had all the time in the world and nothing better to do, a man who could see something positive and encourage something productive from the worst of circumstances. Rogers helped Lloyd see that Lloyd had chosen the bitterness and cynicism that comes with un-forgiveness. Rogers helped Lloyd reframe his past and move forward to forgive his father which is likely the most moving part of the movie.
Fred Rogers gave people permission to be human and inspired them to become the best they could be. When I think of a Bible character who exuded this same quality, Barnabus came to mind. His name actually means, “Son of Encouragement.” Encourages are others-centered. They are builders. They are blessers.
The Christians in Jerusalem didn’t want anything to do with Saul who was also known as the Apostle Paul. He had been a bad dude with a bad past. He had been a persecutor and murderer of Christians. Were they now supposed to accept that Paul was “one of them” and could be trusted? Barnabus came to Paul’s rescue in Acts 9 as he put in the good word for him and encouraged the brothers in Jerusalem to accept him as a Christian leader.
Like Mr. Rogers, Barnabus could look beyond someone’s past. He could look into someone’s potential. That is the springboard from which encouragement flows. Mr. Rogers and Barnabus both could help people see their strengths and look to what they could become. Some of us need to quit holding people hostage to their past. We need to pray to see the new thing God wants to do in and around the people around us and speak that thing. Confess that thing. Prophesy that way.
Lloyd didn’t see any way things would ever change between him and his dad. It was over as far as he was concerned, but because of Mr. Rogers’ encouragement, Lloyd found courage, he found motivation, he found strength, he found the inspiration to hope for change. That’s what encouragement does. How can we harness the transforming power of encouragement to move people toward the change they need and if they were honest, wanted, for their lives?
Hebrews 3:13 says, “But encourage one another day after day.” God put those words in there so that we would be involved in His transformation business in the lives of other people. Encouragement will do so much more than criticism to bring change to someone’s life.
Mr. Rogers was an encourager even though people faced tough times like we are facing today. He took on social justice issues like racism in the 1970’s and led a “love-your-neighbor campaign” long before anyone else was talking about it. He inspired confidence and self-worth in millions of children. His TV program was like group therapy each day as kids were encouraged to process their feelings about things like divorce and death and even world happenings such as the assassination of JFK. As a result, he transformed many hearts and homes. Who are you currently inspiring?
Finally, the last “I” word I think characterizes Mr. Rogers’ life is: INTENTIONALITY
Take a look at this clip where Mr. Roger’s wife talks about how intentionally he lived his life: https://www.wingclips.com/movie-clips/a-beautiful-day-in-the-neighborhood/married-to-a-saint
Fred Rogers wasn’t perfect, but he lived on purpose. He didn’t wake up each day and say, “I hope it’s a great day.” No, he chose to make every day great. He worked to make his life great. He worked to make his life count. He disciplined himself to do the things he knew would be good for him. He ate well and exercised. He maintained a weight of 143 pounds his entire adult life. He didn’t drink or smoke. He didn’t go to bed late. He stayed in the Word. He stayed on his knees. Pursuing his best life as a Christian and as a citizen and as a cultural impactor was the intention of his heart every day.
Fred Rogers lived with a clear awareness regarding what he was supposed to do, what God wanted from him and for his life, and he disciplined himself to be able to be productive in those ways. Out of that clarity came a motivation for Fred Rogers to live well.
Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
There is no greater joy, no greater satisfaction, no higher high than knowing you are living for the purposes God has ordained.
Integrity, Inspiration and Intentionality. With Christ as our example and the Holy Spirit as our Source, we can choose to live this way and truly make it a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
