Gaining Confidence by Discovering your Super Powers

“Grammy, what is your super power?”

This question from my nearly-nine-year old granddaughter stopped me in my tracks. Her exuberance stemmed from just viewing The Incredibles 2. I had never considered the prospect of actual super powers bestowed on regular mortals such as myself. Needing a minute to ponder, I asked her to enumerate her own.

“Eating and reading,” came the unequivocal response. Ahhh, the sweet innocence of childhood! I had anticipated something a little less prosaic–perhaps attributes more in keeping with her resplendent imagination which fired off whimsical adventures upon the slightest encouragement.

“You are certainly exceptional at both!” I acknowledged with a chuckle. “I desire to be known as one who listens well to others and loves them with wisdom and grace. Thanks for asking. That is a really great question.” We talked at length about the real powers we have in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, and I realized that this teachable moment was instructing me as well.

The desire for super heroes

This question tantalized my mind while we spent the day painting my grandgirl’s bedroom. Super heroes are the workings of imagination as frail humans endeavor to make sense of a world filled with evil and suffering. We desperately yearn for the bad to be made right and the downtrodden, abused earthlings to triumph.

Intuitively, we discern that our plight is bigger than we can handle, and lacking outside intervention, we are doomed to slavery to or annihilation by the powerful. Life in its rawest form is an epic battle between good and evil. We have no recourse except to appeal to the kind intentions of someone mightier than we and stronger than our adversary.

My champion and victor is Almighty God and the archenemy is Satan. In the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Satan, sin, and the power of death have already been defeated. All those who have been called and choose to believe this reality have been infused with the same life-giving power that raised Jesus from the dead.

Additionally, we each have at least one unique “super power”, a divinely assigned attribute (spiritual gift) which will have distinct expressions based on one’s personality, talents, culture and resources. These gifts are designed to

Reveal God’s truth.
Call people into deeper relationship with the Creator.
Counter the effects of evil.

Beyond spiritual gifts to personal super powers

Various Scriptures detail a number of broad-based spiritual gifts. While these categories are important and may help define a person’s “bent”, they don’t prescribe how each will specifically flesh out for an individual. Rather, by identifying the things that create a fire in me and give me great joy (my passions and attributes), I move up to see under which gifts they fall. When these attributes are surrendered to God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, they become my personal “super powers”. For example, a skilled author in her super power may express one or more of these spiritual gifts based on the content, focus and style of the writing:

Discernment
Evangelism
Exhortation
Faith
Knowledge
Mercy
Prophecy
Serving
Teaching
Wisdom

Conversely, any one of these gifts will manifest in a variety of ways. The gift of teaching, as an illustration, may be found in those who blog, conduct seminars, give sermons, mentor others, or homeschool their children. The super power is the personalized outflow of the gift from the Spirit.

Why discover our passions?

We each are here for a grander purpose than the pleasures of our own life, and we are appointed the privilege of making a difference in the battle against evil. For this, we need supernatural equipping. Further, we are accountable for the wise use of the gifts we have been given, and do not have the prerogative to bury them or use them carelessly. Finally, we have been created to partner with God to bring about His good purposes of redemption through the use of our gifts, talents, and super powers.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.. . .And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.
1 Corinthians 12:4. 28

Have you thought about how God is giving supernatural power to the ordinary events of your life? Where do you see His mighty hand which brings your abilities to a new level?

Next: 5 Tips for Discovering Your Super Power (You Were Made for This!)