Superhero
When you consider superheroes, I believe my wife is at the top of the list for our children. This woman is prepared for anything getting thrown at her.
She carries a purse larger than what most men use as a suitcase for a week’s trip out of town. This super-purse carries something to handle every possibility, from scrapes and bruises to sun protection, from toys and card games to a small snack, and many things more just to defy the very state of physics. She pulls books, videos, DVDs, and school supplies from this clothing accessory like Mary Poppins pulling a hat rack out of a carpetbag. Equally amazing is her ability to carry this thing around as if it weighed no more than an ordinary purse.
Her super-vehicle (every superhero has some kind of vehicle specially equipped to handle their own brand of justice) is disguised as an everyday minivan, yet packed inside are folding chairs for those spontaneous lawn parties, a first-aid kit rivaling a MASH unit, an additional arsenal of toys or games for a battalion of impatient children, emergency blankets and pillows, and enough spare change on the floor for any toll road. In dire need, there is a complete bunker of food storage under the seats: stale french-fries, Cheerios and other assorted cereals, pieces of cookie, and chips.
Every practical mother would most likely be as prepared as my wife, particularly after three children. Mothers soon learn getting caught off guard with children puts them in a vulnerable position, something taking Dads longer to pick up. Eventually we all come to know children can smell fear and the little darlings will pounce on you if given the chance. As parents, we cannot allow ourselves to be vulnerable, thus we must be prepared. Fortunately, I live with a superhero making my job easier.
Yet being prepared is something we are all called to be in Scripture. God calls us to this order to keep us from being vulnerable to the tactics of the enemy, as well as to stop us from being discouraged by others. 1 Peter 3:15-16 instructs us to, “…always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the Hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
This verse is especially powerful when we consider just prior to these words we are called to “set in our hearts that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Once we have set in our hearts that Jesus is Lord, our fear of man loses power and we are set free to serve the Lord without hindrances. We no longer care how society or the world considers our actions if we are truly serving God and WE consider Him our Lord. Our actions are honorable, our reactions have moral soundness, and we seek the approval of our God – not of our neighbor.
I know this is easy to state, yet to apply this in our lives is a daily struggle. We have a decent chance at setting our actions with good intentions, however our reactions to others and to situations tend to reveal our true heart. Do our reactions have moral soundness? Are we embarrassed to pray in front of others or to seek the Lord’s strength?
Perhaps this would be easier if we were prepared to present our reasons for the hope we know we have in seeking the Lord’s strength. Are we afraid someone might challenge us if we pray in public? I admit I sometimes allow this fear to intimidate me… I also admit to times I tend to swing on the other side of the pendulum and give my testimony so soundly and boldly that I could receive a gold medal in Olympic Preaching – an equally disturbing “reaction” bringing an offense instead of healing to any situation. In this case, I smell fear, my own, and I pounce on others to overcome my own fear.
The Lord instructs us to be prepared to provide a reason for our Hope with “gentleness and respect”. If we react maliciously or are overzealous, we depart from His call to us and we are left vulnerable. Perhaps the safe approach is to be prepared to share the Lord’s love in all situations, a method allowing us to serve the Lord without pouncing on others.
Do you know the Lord in such a way to be prepared to share His love? Let me encourage you to pray for this favor in your relationship with Him. Ask Him to show you how.
If this sort of prayer is difficult, does not come easy, or you just don’t know how, shoot me an email. I’ll be glad to help. I would like to help you get to know Him. Do you know someone who might enjoy this blog or one of my eStories or Books? Please share this blog or my website with them. Thanks!
Glenn Sasscer
www.glennsasscer.com
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