Spiritual Superpowers

As a child of the 70's, I had the special treat of wearing some of those very first super hero undies.  I. Was. Wonder Woman. My invisible jet carried me down our carpeted stairs, my bullet-proof bracelets stopped the shots from the bad guys, and my boomerang headband stopped the evil hordes. I saved my favorite super tool for my little sisters, my lasso of truth.

It was tough losing those superpowers as I got older, i.e., outgrew those special undies.  My superpowers were just pretend, of course.

Super Will and Super Clay Christmas 2000

But what if superpowers were real?

Our ladies' Bible study group has been studying the book of II Corinthians. In chapter six, we have read about "approving ourselves as the ministers of God." There are some rough things in which we are ministers of God like necessity, distress, tumults, among others. There are also some things by which we are "workers together with Him."

We have dubbed these things Spiritual Superpowers.  These are not meant to be a burden, but a blessing. (Did Wonder Woman complain about what a burden her invisible jet was? I think not.) When we think about these as super tools, they help us in our working together with the Lord in ministry. Let's look at some of these Spiritual Superpowers.

1. Purity

Purity, pureness, is being clean or free from contamination.  This is an amazing superpower.  Often this word is used in reference to being sexually pure, but it means so much more than that.  When we are filling our hearts and minds with clean things, we give very little room to the unclean thoughts and motives that so often bog us down (Psalm 12:6, Matthew 5:8).  Be purposeful in using this superpower of purity.

 2. Knowledge

Knowledge is something learned that was not instinctive.  Once we begin to fear God, we can start accessing this superpower (Proverbs 1:7). But using this super tool does not stop there, we can actually study to become more knowledgeable (II Timothy 2:15). When we study to be the smartest person in the room for pride's sake, we are using this power for evil.  On the other hand, when we study and gain knowledge with the purpose of ministering to people, we are using this spiritual superpower well.

3. Longsuffering

Longsuffering is the ability to endure something for a long time.  This is a little different than patience which comes about by the trial of our faith, but it can be similar.  During the days of Noah, God was longsuffering waiting for the ark to be built. He endured their evil for a long time (I Peter 3:20). When we choose to be longsuffering, we are using a superpower that was built to last.  This one is not an insta-fix. The super tool of longsuffering will be our friend for a long time when we choose to use it.

4. Kindness

Kindness is giving goodness to someone who neither earned it nor deserves it.  This is probably my favorite superpower, though I don't always use it as I should.  God has extended kindness to the underserving (including me) in countless ways (Nehemiah 9:17). Have you ever been in a situation where the tensions and angst were just escalating with no seeming resolution? Of course, you have.  I have found that this superpower called kindness can diffuse almost any sticky argument.  Try it.  Kindness is an amazing spiritual superpower.

5. The Holy Ghost

Having God in me is really something I have trouble wrapping my mind around.  The Holy Ghost, sent by the Father in the name of Jesus is our Comforter and Teacher (John 14:26).  That He lives in me is a motivator to keep my life pure and to be mindful of what I say and do (I Corinthians 6:19). As I strive to minister together with Him, what a comfort to know He is with me the whole time!

6. Love 

Love unfeigned, as it is called in II Corinthians six, is pure, genuine, sincere love.  This love is not fake.  True love is giving of oneself for the benefit of another without any expectation of repayment (John 3:16). Even when we disagree with someone or we think that they are unlovely, we can love with a pure love (I Peter 1:22). Love is the kind of spiritual superpower that can change the world. 

7. Bible

We would call the Word of Truth the "Bible" or the "Scriptures" (Ecclesiastes 12:10).  The Bible is where we find our light for walking in the darkness, our rock to anchor our souls, our hope for things to come.  It is our sword to slay the evil hordes (Ephesians 6:17). Without God's words, we don't know His thoughts, desires or plans for us.  The Bible is the spiritual super power that we need to be using every moment of our lives.

8. Power of God 

What is the gospel? The gospel is the power of God.  The gospel is good news. The gospel is the truth that Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day just like He said. The gospel is the power of God that is accessible to us (Romans 1:16). No matter in what situation we find ourselves, we can always remember and be ready to share the sacrifice and miraculous resurrection of Jesus.  Could there be a greater spiritual superpower? 

9. Armour of Righteousness 

The Armour of Righteousness is a multi-faceted spiritual superpower that is for both offence and defense.  The truth covers our loins. Being right before God is our breastplate. Being ready to share the gospel protects our feet. Faith is our shield, salvation our helmet, and the Bible our sword. Prayer and watchings give us boldness.  These super tools in our spiritual arsenal are gifts from God.

There are more spiritual superpowers in the Bible, but these are the ones that have been a blessing for us to study lately.  My challenge to our ladies was to try to use at least one of these spiritual superpowers one time in this next week.  I would offer that same challenge to anyone who reads this.  Remember, these are not to be burdens to carry but super tools to use as we are ministers together with God.

Patrick and Vicki Weimer, Iceland since 1999