What makes a great Superhero?
THE FICTIONAL FRATERNITY
If you’re a fan of the comic book and movie genre, you probably think of characters like the Avengers in lycra clad costumes with superpowers and sweet gadgets which help them fight for justice and the greater good.
I’ve always had a thing for superheroes. I watched Batman reruns as a girl, cheering on the Caped Crusader and hoping against all odds that Cat Woman would finally leave behind her villainous ways. (She had such potential!) And years ago when I sat in a movie theatre and saw actor Christopher Reeve don his Superman cape and take Lois Lane for a late night flight...well, let’s just say my heart skipped more than one beat.
But are superheroes only the work of fiction?
Stan Lee, legendary co-creator, writer, editor, publisher and producer of some of fiction’s most famous Supers, has said, “in order to be a superhero, you need a power that is more exceptional than any power a normal human being could possess, and you need to use that power to accomplish good deeds.”
Wait…where have I heard of a power more exceptional than what a normal human being could possess? A power that can cause a person to accomplish good deeds??
“While you may not feel super, if you are a Christ-follower, you have access to His supernatural power. ”
All over the Bible, that’s where. And if you’re a Christ-follower like me, the very power of God is living inside us! That makes us, dare I say...Super! 1 Corinthians 3:16 speaks to this when it asks,
Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
SUPERHEROES LIKE US
How does the Spirit of God within us cause everyday women like you and I to accomplish good deeds? Here are four answers from God’s Word:
The Spirit of God casts out fear and gives us power, love and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)
The Spirit of God fills us with joy and peace so we may overflow with hope in this world which desperately needs it. (Romans 15:13)
The Spirit of God enables us to comfort with HIS supernatural comfort, even when we are worn out from caring. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
The Spirit of God strengthens us with His power so we may have great endurance and patience. (Colossians 1:11) (Any young Mommas out there need more of this than you can muster? Women caring for elderly parents?)
This is just scratching the surface of what Scripture says God’s Spirit within us can and will do. While you may not feel super, if you are a Christ-follower, you have access to His supernatural power.
AN INVITATION
My friends, Jackie Green and Lauren Green McAfee, have written a lovely book sure to inspire your inner superhero. It’s called Only One Life: How A Woman's Everyday Shapes an Eternal Legacy and I’d love to invite you to read it with us in one of our Summer Book Clubs if you’re in the Oklahoma City area. Before that, we’ll interview co-author Lauren McAfee at a delicious Sunday Brunch on June 2nd. For information about joining a Book Club group and to register for the Brunch, please CLICK HERE.
Let’s tap into our inner superheroes this Summer and allow God to use us to leave legacies worth following. And good news: no skin-tight lycra suits are required!
Meet the Author!
Bible teacher, author, inspirational speaker and disciple-maker, Vickey Banks is passionate about helping women connect the dots between God’s Word and their everyday lives. She loves serving as Women’s Ministry Director at Council Road, celebrating her people, playing with her puppy and getting lost in a good story.