“I’m nothing without this suit” Peter Parker said dejectedly when told he would no longer be allowed to use it. “If you are nothing without the suit, than you shouldn’t have it” Tony Stark replied. For Peter those words seemed to be condemnation of his best efforts to prove himself to the man he desired most to be like. In reality, it was a tough love moment that would spur on a season of growth for Peter.
Sometimes in our Christian walk, we can feel the same way Peter did when told he could no longer use the Spider-man suit. We feel we have done our best to prove to God we are worthy of position or wealth in the world. We want to make a difference for the Kingdom of God; but instead we feel like our best efforts result in failure, and God is vindictive toward us. But the reality of the situation may be that God sees our potential, and will not allow our ambition to exceed our wisdom. It may be that we have a season of growing to do, just as Peter realized in Spider-man.
We can accomplish more with less when God is the center of our identity rather than our accomplishments. It does not matter what we have, it matters how we use it. We should not feel the need to prove to God our abilities. We should instead open our hearts to whatever God has planned. It may not be on the scale we dream of, but the impact we have may influence beyond our capacity to comprehend.
Mathew 23:11-12 says “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Sometimes our desire to reach millions drowns out God’s call on our life to reach one. We need to be humble enough for God to use us in any capacity. God has plenty of greatness to choose from, what He lacks is willing hearts.
Our impact for the kingdom of God happens when we allow God’s wisdom to implant itself in our hearts. We shouldn’t make our desire for greatness overshadow God’s greatness in us. As a Christian we need to realize our identity is in Christ, we therefore have nothing to prove. We need only to be an empty vessel and allow God to work through us.
Peter Parker’s greatest desire was to be like Iron Man and to become a hero. He felt with his capabilities and the new suit, he could become an Avenger and make a difference in the world. The reality was however, that the suit was not where Peter got his strength. Neither did it come from his enhanced capabilities. His greatest strength was his heart. His character and compassion set him apart from Vulture who, like Peter, gained power and abilities. When Peter was able to act with his character rather than his desire to prove himself, his suit was returned to him, and he was offered more than he originally desired.
Like Peter, we as Christians are often given great abilities, but if the motivations of our heart are lacking, then we may work without the blessing of God upon our lives. God does not look at our abilities. God gave those to us and can take them away. Instead God looks at our heart, are we willing to learn and grow. Are we humble, are we seeking God’s will above our own. 1 Samuel 16:7 says “…the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” With a willing heart God can use us beyond our what we ever imagined, making us more than we could be on our own.
God at the Boxoffice 