Superman

I love superheroes. I like that these are people who are bigger than life, and they can do anything they want. I like that they have the ability to help people, and yet many of them are quite flawed. I think that another reason that stories about superheroes resonates with us is that we feel so helpless. We can't stop a speeding train or divert a hurricane. Some of us can't even do laundry much less fix the world's problems. Or can we?

When we read stories of Moses or Paul, we see God doing miraculous things that changed the world. Moses parts seas and commands plagues. Paul heals the sick and miraculously escapes from prison. When we read these things, it is honestly hard not to think of some of these people as superheroes. They can become characters with powers that could just as well have come from radioactivity as from God. We have the tendency to approach these stories as if Moses or Paul was relying on a mysterious power that few can ever attain. The problem is that this is simply not true. The power that they used is the same power that we have access to--God.

People who did miraculous things in the Bible are often said to have been filled with the spirit. As Christians, we are told that we are filled with the spirit. Same power. So where is the disconnect for us? Did these individuals have more faith? Moses tried to back out all of the time. The disciples who performed miracles hardly understood what they were a part of while Jesus was still walking with them. Has God put his power on the shelf for now? Maybe God chooses other ways to manifest his power.

I don't know the answer. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if I walked over and put my hand on a sick person and told them to be healed, but honestly I don't see myself ever doing that. It is certainly true that we live in an age of skepticism, but that seems over the top. I am not sure why though. I still pray for the person to be healed, but I have a hard time accepting that telling a person to be healed would heal them. However, I believe that God used people in the Bible to do just that. In the end it could be a faith issue. It could be that God uses other means.

The thing to remember is that while we may not have the power to heal, we are given some other amazing powers. We are given the power of discernment, the power of forgiveness, and the power of love. The Holy Spirit genuinely gives us these powers. On top of that, we are given certain gifts whether that be teaching, counseling, or a whole host of other callings. I think as Christians we perhaps downplay these gifts and powers because we think that we should have had them before we became Christians. We also think that we were capable of them before knowing God and we simply failed to utilize them. The truth is that all of it is a gift from God, not just so that we can be happy, but so that we can use these gifts to bring others to Him. How will you use your powers?