God has saved us and called us to a holy life -- not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

I recently disclosed (confessed?) to someone that I’d begun writing a novel a few years back Intended to be a thoroughly silly spoof, it was to feature a small-town pastor who faithfully served his flock by day, but came a crime-fighting superhero by night… a high flying, wall-climbing, soul-saving, righter-of-wrongs superhero. (As I recall, I got about 4 ½ pages into the project.)

Question: does the above verse authorize our ability to accomplish whatever we might conceive of doing? (tossing boxcars? x-ray vision? mind-reading? hyper-speed? ... probably no, no, no and no.)

In context, Paul’s bold assertion simply declares his faith-founded capacity for facing and enduring any sort of hardship or trial or threat life could throw at him. It’s not an empowering for sensationalism or abra cadabra-ism; it’s not permission to leap off of bridges with impunity or to transform river rocks into gold bullion. Rather, it’s claiming God’s promise to see us through any (ANY!) situation in such a way that He might be glorified. The result of claiming that promise could be a supernatural provision of some sort, or it could be a beyond-human ability to accept or undergo challenge or suffering or even death.

Interestingly, though, once that assurance becomes firmly rooted in us, something of the superhero does begin to develop and emerge… we grow in confidence and courage, antagonists don’t intimidate as much, anxiety diminishes, our fear of the unknown and the difficult wanes, others’ opinion of us matters less, our purpose (mission) becomes clear and primary for us – in short, we shift out of “survival” mode and start to assertively DO things with a boldness and ability we didn’t have before… again, all for His glory!

Book or no book, I do long to cultivate the seeds of superheroism God has planted in me… and I believe that’s His wish, too.

yours and His--Bill

 

 

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