A low-budget film put out by Christian filmmakers looking to make a difference, Fireproof has become a phenomenon that the secular world has yet to understand. Despite its Christian message and small budget, it’s become so popular that it’s competing with the number one films in the country in movie theatres and now in DVD distribution.
The Story behind Fireproof
Fireproof begins with a married couple in deep trouble. On the verge of divorce, they are fighting and barely able to speak to one another in a kind manner. The young wife is struggling with an attraction to a man she works with who gives her the kind of attention she feels she is lacking from her husband, while her husband struggles with a pornography addiction which has helped lead to this sad state of affairs.
Caleb Holt, portrayed by Kirk Cameron, is the Captain of the local fire department and the movie involves some very moving and action packed scenes of the firemen doing their daily work in a heroic manner. His wife is working at a local hospital as a public relations representative for the medical work of the facility.
Caleb seeks out the guidance of his father who talks to him in depth about how his mother and he almost split up. Caleb is frustrated and angry, he feels there is no hope. They are planning to file for divorce. His father asks him to give him 40 days to try to save his marriage.
This is when Caleb’s father sends him his own special handwritten copy of The Love Dare , a book which begins a 40-day journey to changing the course of your marriage.
The Journey of Fireproof
Caleb’s efforts begin with simple things like choosing not to speak if he has nothing good to say, but require more and more of him as he goes along. About the 20-day point, Caleb is willing to give up. His wife is not yet responding to all his efforts. But his father explains to him that this halfway point is the most difficult because you have to decide whether your heart is really into saving your marriage or not. Caleb decides he needs the help of Jesus Christ and perseveres.
High Recommendation
To tell you more would be unfair and deny you the beautiful experience that Fireproof provides to couples the world over in realizing that even in the midst of great conflict, there is always a new way to begin again. It provides the framework which is later outlined in the book The Love Dare which gives the viewers the opportunity to embark upon the same journey with their own spouse.
Anyone who wishes to give their marriage another try, and even for those who don’t believe it’s worth their time, this is a unique approach which goes beyond therapy and into sound biblical theology to identify and overcome common problems that couples face.
Another devotion recommended for people with troubled marriages and families would be the Devotion to the Sacred Heart. Read about the Promises of the Sacred Heart to see why this would be a good addition to any other program to help save a marriage and a family.
Sources: Fireproof: The Movie - Starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, The Love Dare – By Stephen & Alex Kendrick with Lawrence Kimbrough, Fireproof your Marriage Couple’s Kit – Outreach Ministries
