The greatest comic-book superhero is Spider-Man. There is no debate, he's the best. You can argue Batman, Superman, Captain America, Green Lantern, or Iron Man - but you'd be wrong. I'm sure they all have their good qualities, but they can't match up to the awesomeness that is Spider-Man (read an issue, tell me I'm wrong). As you can tell, I am ahuge fan of the character since I was five years old and my mother bought me a Spider-Man comic. As I have stated earlier, I have a comic book collection numbering near 20,000 with a good number of them include his character.
Why do I like him? First, he started as a teenager with a variety of relatable problems. Money issues, girlfriend issues, people not liking him, family medical issues, and school were just a few of the things Peter Parker faced. Until the day he was bitten by the radioactive spider and got his powers. Sure, he still had his daily problems, but he could escape them while fighting super-villains across the city. As a small kid and even as an adult, there is a lot to relate to in Peter Parker. We all have problems and stresses in our lives and I am sure we all wish we could escape them at times, or that we were picked on and had the means to escape that as well. When Peter first got his powers he did what a lot of us I suspect would do. He used them for his own benefit - he used them to appear on TV, be a celebrity, and make money.
One day, the promoter refused to pay Peter what he felt was owed to him. As he left, the promoter was robbed and the thief ran past Spider-Man. The promoter yelled at Spidey to stop the thief, but having been hurt previously, felt the promoter had it coming. That is something I can relate to, refusing to help those who have slighted me.
Later, when Peter returned home, there were police. It was revealed that his Uncle Ben was murdered by a robber who was still at large. As Spider-Man, Peter went after the murderer only to be confronted by the fact that it was the same thief he let escape earlier. If only he had stopped the thief, the murder would have been prevented. I know its a comic book and these twists of fate happen with regularity, but it still resounds to me today. Peter learned "With great power comes great responsibility"
How does that statement apply to our lives and our walk with the Lord? I looked at it from the perspective of our giftings and what we should do with them.
We are all blessed in some way with talents (great power) from God. How we choose to use them (great responsibility) dictates what will happen. In Romans 12 we are told that we all have different gifts. We are all unique. Some of us are gifted musically, while others athletically. Others can preach while others teach. I am good with numbers. 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms"
I was pretty good with numbers as I have said, thus why I went into the field of accounting. It also didn't hurt that I was pretty introverted, shy, and quiet - so this field appealed even more so. I wouldn't have to interact with others too much, just do my work on a daily basis and go home. However, I didn't know how these gifts would translate into any kind of adequate church ministry.
When I returned from college and rejoined my old church, I was asked to be the treasurer and be on the Board of Finance. This involved budgeting and accounting (two of my strengths), but it required me to get in front of the congregation to talk (not exactly a strong suit, one I still struggle with). Over time, I became more comfortable in being in front of people. In fact, I spent more time in front of the congregation almost preaching about what was needed as followers more than talking numbers - it was almost pseudo-preaching to the masses. It was through being involved and willing to try new things, that I became more involved at that church and my future church home. It has led to facilitating intercessory prayer, leading home groups, and speaking to others. I remained faithful to God in the gifts that He gave me and discovered other skills that I was unaware of.
It reminds me of the parable of the talents mentioned in Matthew 25:14-30. There were two men entrusted with five and two talents from their master respectively and proceeded to double them. There was another given one talent who hid it and did nothing with it. We are the same way with our own talents - we can choose to use and share them or hide them and let them fritter away. The one with the one talent was called by his master a "wicked, lazy servant" and his talent was taken away from him and he was thrown outside. The other two were told that they were faithful in a few things and would be put in charge of many things. This comes about when we see our talents increase, or discovering we are gifted in other ways. The main statement I liked was "Come and share your master's happiness!"
How much fun is it to share in a friend or family member's happiness? How much greater is it to share in God's happiness. If we serve others with our gifts, God will bless it as we bless others with them. We also will be blessed by that. Isn't it fun to share your gifts with others? To see people made happy by what we do in serving them?
Getting back to Spider-Man. In the same way, we are blessed with our own "powers" each unique to us. How we choose to use them, is entirely up to us. If we choose to use them for others and the service of God, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. The responsibility is up to each and every one of us.
Why do I like him? First, he started as a teenager with a variety of relatable problems. Money issues, girlfriend issues, people not liking him, family medical issues, and school were just a few of the things Peter Parker faced. Until the day he was bitten by the radioactive spider and got his powers. Sure, he still had his daily problems, but he could escape them while fighting super-villains across the city. As a small kid and even as an adult, there is a lot to relate to in Peter Parker. We all have problems and stresses in our lives and I am sure we all wish we could escape them at times, or that we were picked on and had the means to escape that as well. When Peter first got his powers he did what a lot of us I suspect would do. He used them for his own benefit - he used them to appear on TV, be a celebrity, and make money.
One day, the promoter refused to pay Peter what he felt was owed to him. As he left, the promoter was robbed and the thief ran past Spider-Man. The promoter yelled at Spidey to stop the thief, but having been hurt previously, felt the promoter had it coming. That is something I can relate to, refusing to help those who have slighted me.
Later, when Peter returned home, there were police. It was revealed that his Uncle Ben was murdered by a robber who was still at large. As Spider-Man, Peter went after the murderer only to be confronted by the fact that it was the same thief he let escape earlier. If only he had stopped the thief, the murder would have been prevented. I know its a comic book and these twists of fate happen with regularity, but it still resounds to me today. Peter learned "With great power comes great responsibility"
How does that statement apply to our lives and our walk with the Lord? I looked at it from the perspective of our giftings and what we should do with them.
We are all blessed in some way with talents (great power) from God. How we choose to use them (great responsibility) dictates what will happen. In Romans 12 we are told that we all have different gifts. We are all unique. Some of us are gifted musically, while others athletically. Others can preach while others teach. I am good with numbers. 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms"
I was pretty good with numbers as I have said, thus why I went into the field of accounting. It also didn't hurt that I was pretty introverted, shy, and quiet - so this field appealed even more so. I wouldn't have to interact with others too much, just do my work on a daily basis and go home. However, I didn't know how these gifts would translate into any kind of adequate church ministry.
When I returned from college and rejoined my old church, I was asked to be the treasurer and be on the Board of Finance. This involved budgeting and accounting (two of my strengths), but it required me to get in front of the congregation to talk (not exactly a strong suit, one I still struggle with). Over time, I became more comfortable in being in front of people. In fact, I spent more time in front of the congregation almost preaching about what was needed as followers more than talking numbers - it was almost pseudo-preaching to the masses. It was through being involved and willing to try new things, that I became more involved at that church and my future church home. It has led to facilitating intercessory prayer, leading home groups, and speaking to others. I remained faithful to God in the gifts that He gave me and discovered other skills that I was unaware of.
It reminds me of the parable of the talents mentioned in Matthew 25:14-30. There were two men entrusted with five and two talents from their master respectively and proceeded to double them. There was another given one talent who hid it and did nothing with it. We are the same way with our own talents - we can choose to use and share them or hide them and let them fritter away. The one with the one talent was called by his master a "wicked, lazy servant" and his talent was taken away from him and he was thrown outside. The other two were told that they were faithful in a few things and would be put in charge of many things. This comes about when we see our talents increase, or discovering we are gifted in other ways. The main statement I liked was "Come and share your master's happiness!"
How much fun is it to share in a friend or family member's happiness? How much greater is it to share in God's happiness. If we serve others with our gifts, God will bless it as we bless others with them. We also will be blessed by that. Isn't it fun to share your gifts with others? To see people made happy by what we do in serving them?
Getting back to Spider-Man. In the same way, we are blessed with our own "powers" each unique to us. How we choose to use them, is entirely up to us. If we choose to use them for others and the service of God, I can guarantee you won't be disappointed. The responsibility is up to each and every one of us.
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