Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be a super-hero? My guess is that at some point in your life you imagined yourself as Superman, Wonder Woman, or some other hero with super-powers. If you’ve ever thought about that kind of stuff, then you’ve probably thought about which super-powers you would want and what you would do with them. If you’re like me, then you probably still think about it every now and then. Well, sit tight, because I want to show you how you can be a real life super-hero for God.
When you think about all the “Supers,” there’s one that stands out above the rest as an example of how regular people like us can become heroes. Spiderman. I’m sure you’re familiar with the movie starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, but if it’s been awhile since you’ve seen it, let me refresh your memory.
Peter Parker was just a regular guy. Actually, he was more like a guy that nobody ever noticed until something happened to him that changed everything. It all started when he came in contact with a spider. That’s not quite accurate to say he came in contact with the spider. Peter didn’t just see it, hear about it, or read about it. He had a personal encounter with the spider. Basically, he got bit. Afterwards, he became more like the thing he came in contact with.
The spider gave Peter everything necessary to become a super-hero the moment he got bit, but the change wasn’timmediate. He had to go through a process before he became more like the spider. After the change, Peter knew he was different. The new man was not the same as the old man, so he created a new identity.
Though he had changed personally, his life wasn’t much different. He felt better, he looked better, and he was more confident, but nothing had really changed in his life or in the lives of those around him. It wasn’t until he started using his super-powers to help other people that he became a super-hero. Once he started using what he had been given to help others, he became Spiderman.
Right about now, you’re probably asking yourself what this has to do with being a super-hero for God. Follow me through this story, again.
We all start out like Peter Parker until we come in contact with Jesus. I’m not talking about reading or hearing about Him, but actually having a personal encounter with Him. Once we come in contact with Jesus at that level, we start to become more like Him. And just like Peter, we get everything we need to be a super-hero for God the moment we enounter Jesus personally and ask Him to be our Lord and Savior. For the most part, though, the change in our lives is not immediate. We go through a process, just like Peter did. Not only that, but we also get a new identity in Christ. The old has gone, the new has come.
As we continue to change, we may feel better, look better, and be more confident in Christ, but it doesn’t mean much if nothing else in our life or the lives of those around us changes. We can’t become a super-hero for God until we start using what we’ve been given to help others. I’m not saying we’ve been given super-powers, like shooting webs out our wrists, but we have been given super-natural powers. Jesus said that through the Holy Spirit we will be able to do everything He did and more. Think about that for a moment. Jesus walked on water, raised the dead, commanded the wind and the waves, multiplied food, and a whole lot of other stuff. He said we would be able to do all of that and more. I can’t think of any super-hero with that kind of power.
But, there’s more to being a hero than encountering Jesus, becoming more like Him, and using what you’ve been given to help others. Basically, it comes down to love. Jesus said that the two greatest things we can ever do is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love others as ourselves. In order to be a hero, you have to love like a HERO.
Let me show you what I mean. HERO is an acronym for what it takes to be a super-hero for God.
H – Heart. Like Jesus said, you must love God with all your heart. When you do anything with all your heart, it means that you give everything you have. That’s how we must love God. With everything.
E – Emotion. You also love God with all your emotion. When something touches your soul, it moves you at an emotional level. At the very core of what drives you and moves your spirit. That’s where we must love God so that everything we do is driven by a love for Him.
R – Reasoning. You love God with all your mind. We must choose each day to serve the Lord. Scripture also tells us to capture every thought. The thing about captives is you either put them to death or you put them to work. Every thought that comes from the flesh should be put to death, while every thought that comes from the Holy Spirit should be put to work. To be a hero, you must love God with all your reasoning.
O – Others. As Jesus said, you have to love others as you love yourself. Don’t overlook the last part of that command. You have to love yourself. And what’s not to love? God loved us even when we were unlovable. He thought enough of us to send His Son to save us, even when we didn’t deserve it. If He loves you that much, then you must be pretty lovable.
So, there you have it. Now, you know how to be a real life super-hero. Come in contact with Jesus. Go through a process. Become more like Christ. Use what you’ve been given to help others. Love like a HERO.
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