You Can be a Super-Hero!

No cape required!

THE JUSTICE OF SUPERMAN – The way of the just is uprightness. –Isaiah 26:7

Parrish continues: Since 1938, DC Comics’ Superman has reigned supreme among our most beloved superheroes. His motto: Truth, justice, and the American way. “It is the second of these honorable objectives that we saw our superhero pursue most actively in 1978’s Superman: The Movie,” writes Parrish in No Cape Required: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero. “Our world today is in no less need of a hero to bring justice. It falls on each of us to bring justice to our little corner of the world.

A prayer: Lord, I may not be wealthy or powerful, but in Your will I, too, can work wonders. Please show me where I can bring justice to the people around me or provide support to those who do. Amen.

No cape required!

THE CHARITY OF ROBIN HOOD – Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. –Proverbs 31:9

His name is Robin Hood, and he’s been around in ballads and tales since medieval times. The allure of this “courteous outlaw” over the centuries is simple to understand: our hearts respond to a man who devotes his life to opposing the unjust and helping the poor. Tales of Robin Hood are rife with examples of his charity toward those in need. In Scripture we read that Jesus’ heart is also for the poor among us.

A prayer: Heavenly Father, I am so grateful to You for the opportunities You’ve given me to help people in need. I know that by doing so I’m in the center of Your will. Help me to recognize You in the eyes of strangers who need me and to respond to them in love. Amen.

No cape required!

THE PROTECTIVENESS OF KATNISS EVERDEEN – And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper. –John 14:16.

In The Hunger Games, when 12-year-old Primrose’s worst fears come true and she is chosen for the annual Reaping, her older sister Katniss volunteers to take her place, knowing that she is probably signing her own death warrant. And during the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss instinctively protects a small girl named Rue and later risks her life for her friend Peeta. She is uniquely protective. In the same way, the Holy Spirit lives within each of us, assuring us that we will never face alone what life throws at us. Remember that we have a protector who dwells within us and a strong tower to escape to.

A prayer: Dear Jesus, there are people all around me who need protection in some way. Please help me know who they are, and guide me in providing them what they may need. Amen.

No cape required!

THE LOYALTY OF DOBBY – A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. –Proverbs 18:24

Rarely do we think about loyalty as an everyday thing, and we certainly don’t associate it with hundreds of young adults dressed up as wizards at bookstores in the middle of the night. However, the small, elfish figure of Dobby, from the Harry Potter books and movies, serves as a perfect example of loyalty like that: of personal sacrifice that asks for no recognition at the end of the day. Jesus Christ chose to sacrifice His life for us. He was perfectly loyal us in life, in death, and in coming back to life despite our disloyalty to Him. His loyalty is perfect.

A prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for Your loyalty to us, especially when we fail to be loyal to You. Please forgive us for that, and help us to remember Your perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Amen.

No cape required!

THE TRUTHFULNESS OF WONDER WOMAN – Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness. —Ephesians 6:14

During World War 1, William Moulton Marston created Wonder Woman and her Golden Lasso of Truth. Because the lasso was, in essence, a lie detector, it extracted the truth from anyone who had the misfortune to find himself trapped in its loop. In regard to truth, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Like Wonder Woman, we can use truth as a powerful weapon. Rather than give in to our natural, sinful selves, we can use truth to bind up the lies in our lives and be set free from them.

A prayer: Thank You, Lord God, for the freedom You have given us through the truth of Your Son. Help me remember His supreme sacrifice when I am tempted to sin. Amen.

No cape required!

THE INTEGRITY OF ATTICUS FINCH – The Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly. —Psalm 84:11

In To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus Finch was a man of integrity during a time in the Deep South when it could cost your life to stand for your principles. He defended a black man accused of rap. Centuries earlier, three men—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego—had to stand up for their principles at the risk of their lives. They would not bow down to an idol and were thrown into a fire. Are you willing to “step into the fire” to defend something you believe in, regardless of the personal cost to you?

A prayer: Dear God, sometimes I just go along to get along. It’s easier. Please help me to recognize when I’m doing that and to stand up for what’s right when it really counts, even in the small things. Amen.

No cape required!

THE WISDOM OF YODA – The wise mind will know the time and the way. —Ecclesiastes 8:5 nrsv

He is a tiny and wrinkled hero, but the little creature is a Jedi Master. Yoda’s appearance reminds us that heroes can come in unexpected packages. Despite his stature, he possesses the wisdom of the ages. King Solomon, whose wisdom is found in Proverbs, knew we would have a hard time discerning good from evil. We often doubt our ability to tell them apart sometimes. The answer? To trust the Holy Spirit for discernment in all things. The less you depend on your own knowledge and the more you depend on the Word of God, the more you’ll find a heart bent toward wisdom.

A prayer: Dear Lord, help me to know Your Word and Your heart so much that I can be wise. Guide me to a confident heart that can discern good from evil. Amen.

No cape required!

THE BRAVERY OF DOROTHY – Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear. —Psalm 27:3 niv

Young Dorothy is the heroine of The Wizard of Oz as she repeatedly faces down evil beings. In the midst of an adventure of unknowns, she stands up with gumption to the Wicked Witch. Was Dorothy an invincible person? Of course not. When captured and imprisoned, she cried out, “I’m frightened.” “Bravery is not the same as not being afraid,” writes Parrish in No Cape Required: 52 Ways to Unleash Your Inner Hero. ”It’s moving forward despite your fear. We, too, can take heart and be brave because our Shepherd will never leave us. He will give us a strong heart and set our feet upon a rock.

A prayer: Dear Father, sometimes, like Dorothy and like David, I feel besieged by the enemy. Thank You for giving me Your Word so I can know there is no need for my heart to fear. Amen.