I recently enjoyed watching The Forge movie with my family and was thoroughly impressed by the plot, theme, and message. The Forge is founded upon Christian values and provides a call to action for mentors–specifically men like me–to step up to lead the next generation. There were a few themes that resonated with me: persistence, empathy, forgiveness, and mentorship.

But first, here’s a description from https://www.theforgemovie.com/about:

What is The Forge?

Isaiah Wright has some growing up to do. A year out of high school with no plans for his future, Isaiah is challenged by his single mom and a successful businessman to start charting a better course for his life. Through the biblical discipleship from his new mentor, prayers of his mother and a prayer warrior named Miss Clara, Isaiah begins to discover God’s purpose for his life is so much more than he could hope for or imagine. From the Kendrick Brothers, the creators of the No. 1 hit WAR ROOM, comes THE FORGE, a faith-filled new movie with familiar friends and inspiring new twists.

The Themes that Resonated

The Forge‘s directors centered the movie on Christian values and principles we can apply. These themes stood out and sparked an ongoing discussion in my household. Without giving any spoilers, here are some of the highlights:

Persistence

Multiple adults were persistent in their prayers, support, and encouragement to help Isaiah find his way. This resonated with me because not only do I advocate for adults to connect with and guide children through opportunities and challenges, but Isaiah’s story reminded me of how my parents and mentors have guided me along the way. I wouldn’t be where I am without them. The Bible encourages unwavering perseverance, as seen in Galatians 6:9, reminding us to “not grow weary in doing good” because diligence brings a lasting reward. That means that the persistence we demonstrate in our relationships will pay off and make the recipients of our love and support better people.

Empathy

Persistence is crucial in guiding others; however, it must be paired with empathy to truly reach the heart of the person we are mentoring. Empathy–sharing another’s feelings–is at the heart of persistent love. Isaiah’s struggles with a key adult in his life led him to act out, making it even more crucial for his mentors to lead with empathy. Their empathy helped him become more emotionally intelligent. If the movie were to continue to follow Isaiah for the rest of his life, my guess is that he would master understanding and controlling his emotions, and he would teach others to do the same. In other words, leading with empathy creates a ripple effect.

Forgiveness

Not only does empathy create a ripple effect, but it also conditions us to forgive others. Empathy allows us to potentially understand the motivations behind someone’s actions. That understanding doesn’t equal excusing or condoning poor behavior or harmful actions, but it gives us a different perspective with which we can begin to release the negative emotions (i.e. anger and bitterness) that are often associated with being wronged.

Some pain is deep

The Forge presents a resonating feeling–the deep pain associated with betrayal by a trusted person.  To deepen that pain, Isaiah was betrayed by someone in a nurturing position. As we know, this causes lifelong pain and makes forgiveness seem impossible. The creators of The Forge did an excellent job of allowing us to journey with Isaiah as he navigated his emotions in response to hurt. Most importantly, the directors didn’t create an oversimplified scenario where Isaiah completely forgives the person who wronged him. Instead, we’re led to believe that forgiveness will come over time as he matures and heals from his past hurts. This is realistic, relevant, and timeless.

Mentorship

Isaiah’s journey towards forgiveness was not done in isolation. He needed persistent prayer, guidance, and direction. The message in The Forge is clear–mentorship matters. One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This verse highlights the transformative impact of guiding and strengthening others. We–the community of parents, teachers, mentors, and caregivers–are responsible for developing others. We learn and invest in ourselves to pour into others.

I’m proud to say that The Forge excited me and challenged me to become a better mentor and leader. So, I want to extend the same challenge to you. Imagine the impact of each of us stepping up to mentor just one person. Our combined efforts will shape a future filled with resilient, purpose-driven leaders. Young men and women will benefit from your story, growth, expertise, and wisdom. Take the first step—reach out to someone who could benefit from your guidance and invest in their growth. We must leave this world in a better condition than we found it, and we will do so by developing the next generation of impactful leaders!

Are you ready to accept the challenge?