Whoever makes out the schedule for what’s on cable tv these days must have some data that says viewers can’t get enough of the 2006 movie The Devil Wears Prada. One of those rewatchable shows, the movie tells the story of an aspiring journalist, just out of college, trying to land her first job. Andrea “Andy” Sachs (Anne Hathaway) soon finds employment as a personal assistant to Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), the editor-in-chief of a renowned fashion magazine in New York City called Runway. However, it’s an unlikely place for Andy to find work because she neither knows nor does she much seem to care to learn anything about the fashion industry.
Nevertheless, struggling to keep up and please her overbearing boss Miranda, Andy eventually approaches Runway's art director Nigel (Stanley Tucci) for advice in dealing with everything before her. Lamenting her job and Miranda’s relentlessly unreasonable demands, Andy insists that she’s doing her best, trying as hard as she can, but it’s just not working out.
“Andy,” Nigel responds to her, “be serious. You are not trying… Do you want me to say, ‘Poor you. Miranda's picking on you. Poor Andy’…”
Nigel goes on:
Don’t you know that you’re working at the place that’s published some of the greatest artists of the century? Halston, Lagerfeld, de la Renta… You have no idea how many legends have walked these halls. And what's worse, you don't care. Because this place, where so many people would die to work, you only deign to work… Wake up, sweetheart.
While Andy chiefly just wants a shoulder to cry on, Nigel’s response, abrupt yet incisive, turns her around. Suddenly, she sees he’s right, and with an attitude adjustment and Nigel’s helpful assistance choosing some stylish clothes for her, soon (following a brilliant montage showing off her new wardrobe), Miranda notices Andy's transformation, not only in terms of the new clothes but with respect to her new commitment to work.
It’s this brief but pivotal scene between Andy and Nigel that presents an interesting but difficult—maybe even jarring—lesson for us to consider, and it’s this: Sometimes we convince ourselves that we’re trying our best when we’re really not.
Perhaps nowhere else does this notion have deeper application than in our spiritual lives. Sometimes we want to think we’re advancing in our discipleship as well as we possibly can, but truth be told, we’re really not. We don’t pray as earnestly as we might, until a crisis arises. We don’t prepare ourselves for our trials before they arise by deeply studying God’s Word. Failing to accurately examine our days, we forget to count our blessings. We neglect many of the difficult things we’re instructed to do—like confessing our sins, forbearing one another’s faults, and taking the time to place ourselves imaginatively in each other’s shoes. We’re not as kind as we should be. We don’t give as sacrificially as we might. Yet somehow, because we’ve convinced ourselves we’re exerting maximum effort to follow Christ, we never become completely aware of our full potential to honor God.
C.S. Lewis puts his finger on this notion in his 1952 book, Mere Christianity, writing:
After all, you find out the strength of the German army by fighting against it, not by giving in. You find out the strength of a wind by trying to walk against it, not by lying down.
Maybe we could use a Nigel-like pep talk or a little divine wardrobe counsel on this subject ourselves. Perhaps it might go like this:
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace… take up the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:14-18, NIV)
And there’s one more thing here—Nigel instructs Andy to realize the amazing opportunity she’s fallen into, a chance many would absolutely die to have. We probably don’t frame our own lives in this light enough, but surely there are millions upon millions of people throughout history and even on this earth right now, who’d consider their every prayer answered if they could trade places with almost any one of us in this moment. We’re lucky to be where we are, blessed to be who we are. We all have another day to get up, to see things anew, and to contend with all the adventure just ahead; another chance to enjoy this planet, this country, and to commune with both God and one another, renewing our resolve to live our lives the best we possibly can.
God—May suddenly I see all things new. Amen.
