“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Romans 12:6

Have you noticed our culture’s obsession with superheroes? Holy cow! From the ground-breaking Black Panther, to Captain Marvel, Captain America, The Avengers—I don’t have enough room. We love superheroes. And although I haven’t watched most of the superhero movies, I did get a kick out of Ironman. Played by Robert Downey Jr, he’s snarky, funny and full of himself. Not that any of those are admirable qualities, but being a recovering narcissist, I can at least relate to his brokenness.  Not that he would ever admit it. His ego is his downfall, his Kryptonite. (More on that in the next post.)

I think what we love about superheroes is their superpowers. It’s what makes them stand out, makes them unique from all the other superheroes. And we want to feel unique too. But more importantly, I think we love how they use their superpowers for good (most of the time, The Incredible Hulk notwithstanding.) You know, fight against evil, rescue the oppressed, save the world and all that.

It awakens something in us.

Because that’s exactly what we’re created to do. Fight evil, rescue the oppressed, save the world. With the superpowers God has given to each of us.

In praying to His Father, Jesus said this, “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4-5, NIV) I get that. Jesus was sent by the Father to do a specific work, literally save the world.  And He brought glory to the Father by completing His work.

Us too. He goes on to say, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:18-19, NIV) In the same way God sent Jesus into the world to save it, He now sends us…to complete the work. Check this out. He says, “And glory has come to me through them.” (John 17:10-11, NIV) I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read that passage and never, I mean never, saw that sentence. In the same way that Jesus brought glory to the Father by completing His work, the disciples brought glory to Jesus! How? By completing the work He gave to them. As disciples of Jesus Christ, you can I bring glory to Jesus, and Jesus to the Father, by completing the specific works God has laid out for us.

So how exactly do we know what our work is? What’s our part in fighting evil, rescuing the oppressed, saving the world?

Well, look at your superpowers.

Just as Jesus completed His work through the superpowers given to Him by the Holy Spirit, so do you and I. I love the way it’s put in the New Living Translation, “Don’t think you are better than you really are. (aka Tony Stark, Ironman) Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, (superpowers) so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. (superpowers) So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them.” (Romans 12:3-8)

In a nutshell, he says do the hard work of evaluation, figure out what you do well, your superpower, and then do that. And don’t just sort of do it, do it well! With passion. With intention. And with genuine love.

Here’s how I say when I’m coaching others, “Do what you do best, most.” Best I can tell, my superpowers revolve around communication. It’s why I’ve devoted the rest of my life to doing things involving communicating the way of Christ, the way of love, in as many different settings as I can.

• It’s why I’m posting this blog.
• It’s why I wrote Desperate For Hope.
• It’s why I’m speaking every opportunity I get.
• It’s why I’m doing a Scars of Hope Tour around the country.
• It’s why I’m counseling and coaching folks one-on-one.
• It’s even why I take people on backpacking trips through Born 2 Be Wild. I teach the way of Christ mornings and evenings on the trail.

Here’s some really good news. I don’t have to compare myself to anyone else. I’m not responsible for gifts (superpowers) God’s given to someone else. I’m only responsible to use the superpowers God’s given me to do His work in the world. Same goes for you.

So how about it? What are your superpowers? Have you done the hard work of figuring them out? Are you using them? Are you doing what you do best, most?

If you’re not sure what your gifts and passions are (your superpowers), and what your work in the world is, I’d love to help you figure that out. I offer discipleship life-coaching and help people maximize their superpowers through a life-mapping process I call DNA – Divine Natural Application. Maybe I could help you too. Just zip over to my website here. Schedule an appointment and we’ll chat. I work with folks locally in Huntsville, but also around the country (and globe) through Skype.

You’re a superhero, so act like it. Join Jesus, glorify God, trust the power of His Spirit, and go save the world!

Photo by Craig McLachlan on Unsplash