As a kid I spent most Saturday mornings watching “The Super Friends”. I also bought comic books from time to time – with Superman as my favorite. Over the past several years, my kids and I have enjoyed the various Marvel Comics movies that have hit the theaters. Heroes fighting villains, protecting the weak and innocent – using their super powers or extremely expensive gadgets to save the world. (I propose there is no way Tony Stark can actually afford all of his toys).
Recently I was thinking on some things to write, and I remembered a Sunday morning years ago. We were in our Sunday School class drinking coffee and talking before our lesson was to begin. As I was visiting with some friends, one of the women began to explain to us that she believed that God used her to point out other people’s faults so that they would know what they were. She was quite proud of the fact that she found plenty of opportunities to “help” people understand their failings. She wasn’t concerned about if she did so in public or not – her main goal was to make sure that these faults were revealed as soon as she found them.
As you can imagine, we were blown away by her declaration. We all knew she could be critical, and often tactless in how she went about it. Now we were being told this was her “calling”. Looking back on it, I guess you could say she thought she was saving the world with her “super power”.
With that in mind, I began to think about what super powers we may have that can do harm, and those that can help. As in every story, pride takes what can be helpful and distorts it into what can be used to harm. In this woman’s case, pride caused her to look down on others. Their struggles weren’t something she identified to help them with and bring encouragement. Instead, she pointed out those areas for others to see – making her feel superior in the process. Insightfulness used for the wrong purpose.
What Is Your Super Power?
A super power should be used for good. Looking at myself, I have some skills that are useful, and I do my best to use them for good. In reality, they are only skills.
On the super power side:
- I can’t fly (at least not without a participating airline).
- I am not super strong, although I can loosen jar lids at will.
- I can’t communicate with animals to get them to do my bidding. (I have cats – enough said)
- I don’t have either x-ray or heat vision, although my kids say I have a stern look that gives them pause.
I don’t have any old relics imbued with cosmic powers – as my wife would have sold anything like that without my knowledge in a garage sale over the years.
My list of impressive traits was on the marginal side, at best.
Then I remembered Galatians 5:22-23:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 meekness, self-control.
I like to refer to these as the character traits of God. They are “fruit”, or results of His Spirit working on the inside of His children. They go beyond our natural capacities, as they are empowered in us by the Holy Spirit. This truly makes them “Super Powers”!
Things are looking up for my superhero career. Now that I know that I actually have super powers available to me, I need to understand what they are, then use and develop them.
Spirit “Super Powers” Defined
Love – This type of love is the highest form of love, the type of love personified by how God looks at and relates to us. It is not based on what the other party can do in return. It is a love that exists because of the value assigned to the person on whom the love is placed.
Joy – While happiness can be fleeting in hard times, joy can be present in the midst of adversity – as it has its root in God’s presence and power to affect one’s situation. Happiness is a reaction to the situation at hand. Joy is a buoy of the spirit and soul while waiting expectantly for the answer trusted for.
Peace – This peace is not a mere feeling of tranquility when all is well but describes a tranquility in spite of the circumstances. This is a peace that allows you to maintain composure and stability even if the world around you is swirling out of control. It is based on a trust in God’s faithfulness.
Longsuffering – Longsuffering handles the enduring wrong without becoming quick to anger or thinking of revenge. A person who exhibits longsuffering would be someone who is not easily provoked, and has the ability to rein in emotions and not to act rashly. This is a person we would refer to as having a long fuse.
Kindness – This refers to how one interacts and handles contact with others. In kindness, you are not prone to being judgmental, instead to valuing the other person and attempting to treat others as you would want to be treated.
Goodness – With Goodness, you not only try to do the right thing, but your regular disposition is to think right and act right. Goodness in the context of the character traits of God is a deeply held desire to do things that will be pleasing in God’s eyes.
Faithfulness – Faithfulness describe being loyal, dependable, not easily swayed or moved. If you are faithful you are trustworthy, and can be counted on to hold confidence and keep your word. You are also quick to obey when God instructs.
Meekness – When you are operating in meekness you are not a weak person who wilts or knuckles under when faced with pressure. Instead, you operate from a place of strength, yet not allowing that strength to be the overriding factor in how you treat others, even when you are treated wrongly.
Self-Control – When self- controlled, you have worked to attain a level of balance and moderation in your life where your decisions are not based on what feels good, but on what is right. In this context what is right is defined by what is right in God’s eyes.
You Can Be a Super Hero Today
Now that we’ve defined these super powers, it is up to you and me to apply ourselves in developing and using them. We can change the world, one person at a time, as we are kind, faithful, self-controlled, meek, loving, peaceful, etc. The best part is, you don’t need a cape, a titanium suit, a flying hammer or an infinity stone to be someone’s hero. With the Spirit of the Eternal God working in you, you can be the answer to someone’s need today.
