I'm No Superman...Or Am I?

Last week, I asked my friends and followers if boys ever grew out of the desire to have superpowers. The response was that no, we don't, which made me feel a lot better.

I find myself asking what it would be like to have Spider-man's powers. Or to have Jedi powers (or Sith powers - admit it: you want to shoot lighting out of your fingers and be able to force choke, too!). Or to have Superman's powers. Invulnerability. Heat vision. Super-speed. Flight. Perfect hair. And don't forget X-ray vision...

Sadly, I've never had superpowers, and likely I never will. But since I've never had and never will have superpowers, does that mean that I'm no superman? That I'm just a regular guy, destined to lead a regular life and just do regular things until I join regular people in the ground? NO!!!

We Are Not Powerless
Just because you can't fly or shoot webs or heal yourself from anything doesn't mean you don't have power. Think about Superman for a moment. Where does his power come from? He is fueled and strengthened by the yellow sun. Any other sun will not do.

Likewise, we have power given to us from outside of us: from God's Son. Listen to the apostle Paul as he describes people caught up in all the suffering and trouble that life can present: "in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us" (Romans 8:37).

It doesn't matter what life throws at us: famine, danger, persecution, cancer, death, disease. We are super-conquerors in Jesus. These things may hurt us, but they cannot and will not destroy us. Why? Because Christ has loved us and given himself up for us (Galatians 2:20). God himself has loved us, and there is no power in heaven, on earth, or even in Hell that can break the love he has for his children in Christ (Romans 8:38-39).

How do we go on in the darkest and most difficult times in life? Is it by making peace with ourselves? By looking at the 'positive side' of things? By 'getting over it' and just being tough? No. None of these things will provide us with the hope we need to stand in our faith. Only knowing that God our Father and Jesus Christ are totally for us helps us in those times.

So, in the words of a song by Broken Walls: "Rise Up, Mighty Warrior." Your Christ has loved you and made you strong to stand amidst life's greatest trials!

The Challenge of Knowing God's Not Done With You

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. ~Paul, Philippians 1:6

Isn't it funny how you can know a verse for so long and yet still see something new in it? Last week, I wrote about the comfort of knowing that God's not done yet. This week, I want to issue a challenge from the same verse.

Have you ever had moments in your life, where you think things are going pretty good? Your bills are paid; your relationships all seem to be going well. It seems like all is right with the world. Or at least right enough. You're comfortable. There's nothing pressing on you to move forward, and no great challenge to drive you towards God.

Times like this are harder for us than in moments of crisis when you know that God is your only hope. In difficulty, it's easy to see who our source is, whose help we need. But in the "safe" times, we are tempted to forget about God. We become casual about him and don't really see our deep need for him. So for times like this, Philippians 1:6 is a challenge.

Remember, "GOD'S NOT DONE WITH YOU YET!" I need to hear this as much in the good times - if not more - as I do in the hard times. Remember the goal of our salvation is that we be like Christ! And God is committed to making it happen.

So when things in your life are easy and seem to be going good, don't abandon your only hope. Don't let the gentle rocking of comfort lull you to sleep. SEEK GOD! Continue to pray! Continue to read the Word! Continue to go to church. Don't assume you have arrived at where you are supposed to be with God. Notice the timing of God's completed work in you: "AT THE DAY OF CHRIST JESUS."

We will not be where God wants us to be until Christ returns. So let him keep working in you and keep pressing on towards becoming more like Christ. Don't settle for "good" when God's desire for you is "great!"

How do you press on in the easy times to maintain your relationship with God? How do you press on towards Christ-likeness even when you think you're doing pretty good?

The Comfort of Knowing God's Not Done with You

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ ~Paul, Philippians 1:6

Ever have those moments in your life when you feel broken? You see your own sinfulness and you get discouraged. You look at you life circumstances and despair. You feel hopeless and wonder if things will ever change. I have. I still do sometimes.

When I was in college, I struggled with depression and hopelessness. I thought that I would never change. I wondered often if God was there, if he cared about my hurts and troubles. At times, I wondered if I was even saved.

It was no accident that one day in chapel our speaker spoke on Philippians 1:6. His point was simple: "God's not finished with you yet." Since then, that's been one of my favorite verses of Scripture. I think of it often. I've memorized it and, in those times when I am feeling down, will quote it to myself. In essence, I am preaching to myself to not despair, but to have hope in the God who has worked, is working, and will not stop working.

He Began It
A few weeks ago, I posted about how God is committed to our good. In it, I spoke of how God has planned for us to become like Christ. He knows our sin. He knows our inability. And he sent his Son to die for us. He caused us to become Christians.

The work that is happening in us is wholly owing to God, not to ourselves.

He Will Finish It
God does not abandon his work. He didn't stop creating after day 2. He didn't only half-raise Jesus from the dead. He didn't stop giving us his love or his Spirit. And he won't abandon us either. God ALWAYS finishes what he started.

How does God's promise to you give you the strength to keep on going even when you feel like giving up?