If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? Xray vision? Flying? Enormous strength? All these would be great to have. The one thing I know of superpowers is what I see on TV. There is a hero and a villain. Each have powers greater than the civilians living in the city they occupy. Depending on who has the greatest super power and uses it the wisest is the one who wins. I also know that each day is a different battle of some sort. The hero spends his every moment to protect civilians, family, friends, and loved ones. The villain spends his every moment trying to distract the hero and get the upper hand to destroy the hero. He even goes to the limit of destroying the character of the Hero whenever he can. Ultimately the one thing we know is that regardless of how hard the villain tries to win each and every daily battle, the Hero will win the war in the end.
I can’t help but think how similar the plot is to our everyday lives we live in. God is our Hero and Satan is our villain. As sheep, aka/ civilians, family, friends, and loved ones of Christ; we face everyday battles of all kinds. The villain does everything he can to destroy what the Hero stands for. In service for Justice, Mercy and Grace is the motto of our Hero and Lord. Jealousy, envy, and greed with a huge helping of selfishness is what drives the Villain to constantly interfere and destroy. It all is so familiar and you can see the similarities, but there is one advantage, one superpower us sheep have, that the civilians, family, friends, and loved ones did not. The advantage of warning and insight and a never-ending power source to all things knowledgeable that our Hero has given or is willing to share with us. It’s not the ability to see the future, but the ability to look for signs and warnings to alert me of what is ahead. This insight includes the ability to know (have wisdom) of what should be taken to heart and what should be disregarded as insignificant (discernment). To help us to stand firm in our Faith and not believe the lies that are thrown our way. Our super hero and villain story does not include or even look for any superpower of that kind for the civilians. To let our civilians, make any choices or decisions on their own seems pointless and weak compared to the superpower of the hero and villain. Yet, in this life we live, we have been blessed with a Heavenly Father who is our Hero. Instead of leaving us in the dark, Our Heavenly Father gives us insight and the ability to gain wisdom and knowledge to help us stand our ground in the battle for our souls. He gives us this superpower! Did you know that? Well, I did not until recently and I am amazed and how blessed I am and how gracious God is.
God has given us his written word to read. At first glance, or on any random Sunday morning we will see a big list of dos and don’ts. To be honest it is a big turn off and is hard to read and get anything from it. When I finally took to reading this at home in my quiet time, I started really looking up the definitions of certain words in the Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic language. I would search out the truth of quotes and phrases I heard my whole life where in the Bible. The more I read and the more I studied, I found that God’s Bible was not a list of what I should be doing, but it was an in-depth love story of how to survive and obtain this superpower of noticing signs and warnings. As well as wisdom and discernment. A riddle or mystery, written in a book that can be and is most likely in the possession of anyone who wants it. As I let your subconscious mind spin on that for a sec, let me show you what I mean.
In my own struggles with relationships and insecurities, I often get caught up in insignificant things that have been said. I also didn’t have a clear understanding of where to place boundaries. As I began looking for these answers In the Bible, these verses brought me great peace and wisdom in a way only a superpower can.
Protect the heart with all diligence, for out of it is the issues of life. Proverbs 4:23
And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves; for charity shall cover the multitude of sins 1 Peter 4:8
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mightily men which are in the city. For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not. Also take no heed unto all words that are spoken; lest thou hear thy servant curse thee: For often times also thine own heart knoweth that thou thyself likewise hast cursed others. Ecclesiastes 7:19-22
These verses gave me insight on how to approach relationships. First verse says to protect your heart with all diligence. This warning shows me that it is important to protect what you take to heart. What you believe in, what limits you put on yourself and your relationships, what truths and lies you believe in and make them a foundation to live on. The word heart in this verse widely stands for the feelings, the will, and the intellect; the center of everything. Your heart is the center of your life. Pay attention to what you take to heart and what you don’t. Because what you do have in your heart is how you will deal with the issues of life. This also tells us that it okay to put up boundaries on what negatively influences your heart.
Second verse shows us the power of charity which means love. The power of love, if it is real and true, has the power to cover a multitude of sins. This goes both ways. Not just for us but to us. True love will not take to heart every sin you commit to others or others will commit to you. A true test of knowing how much you love, is really how much you will put up with before you completely cut someone from your life and vice versa. This also goes for the love God has for us. Gods love is so great, that is covers a multitude of sins. He will not turn his back on us or leave us. A true testament of His love for us. Also, if we simply just ask for forgiveness, he forgets our sin and remembers it no more!
Third verse talks about the power of wisdom and how our sin is equal to others. Wisdom is more powerful that having great physical strength. To know the truth, and to take it to heart, can help you in ways you would never imagine. The truth that all men have sinned, and there is not one pure among us. Because of this everyone will say things at one time or another that will hurt someone else. Including us! Because of this, remember when you have done this, what state of mind you were in and how it made you feel afterward. By your own sin you can relate to the sin of others and their state of mind. With this compassion and forgiveness can easily flow in your relationships.
With help from the Holy Spirit and studying in the quietness we can see that the Bible is a guide book with important warnings and insight on how to truly manage our hearts and minds to conquer the villains in our life. Those villains being our sinful nature and Satan the roaring lion. God does not leave us hanging to wait until he swoops down and carries us to safety. There is no growth in that. He gives us a guidebook on how to maneuver life, its battles, and its villains. The guidebook is full of Gods power, wisdom and strength so we can grow and learn and become more knowledgeable in the issues of this life. This growth is essential for our relationship with God and the work he has in stored to building his kingdom. God wants us to succeed and conquer! His words gives us the ability to do so with His help!
by keri payne 