Merry Christmas!

The world is inundated these days with superheroes. We see movies about Superman, Spiderman, Star Wars, and others. Our children wear clothing with the superstars of cartoons. Even the youngest of children can sing the songs of Disney heroes. Adults even adore the heroes of books, the theater, TV, and music. But, what about Christmas? What about the Superheroes of Christ’s birth?

Certainly, the Bible is full of heroes and superheroes. The Christmas story includes: Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds, the Wise Men, the Inn Keeper, and others. We cherish this story of centuries ago as both the birth of our Savior and the birth of Christmas. However, who are the superheroes in Christmas today?

Well, I contend that there are at least five Superheroes that we need to celebrate this and every Christmas season. Let’s take a look at each and the superpowers that result from each:

1. Faith – First, is the Superhero I call Faith. The book of Hebrews in the Bible calls Faith “the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things unseen.”  Faith is that confidence that what we hope for and believe is true and will happen. Faith is that confidence that our chair will hold us up when we sit in it. It is that trust that what God says is true. Faith sustains us when life becomes difficult and motivates us to go another step or another day. Without Faith, we can’t really celebrate Christmas and its true meaning at all. Faith in the Christmas Child is the only thing that can bridge that gap between us and God. Without Faith, there is no Hope.
2. Hope – How can we go through life without our next Superhero Hope? Hope is that Superhero that connects our life today with God’s promise of everlasting life. Hope keeps us focused. Hope saves the day when we think things can get no worse. Hope walks with us when our loved one has died, when we have lost our job, or when our child has gone astray. Hope is powerful! Hope does what no earthy, normal hero can do. Hope is that Superhero that introduces us to Peace.
3. Peace – Peace is that Superhero that everyone on earth seeks. Peace can be elusive or mysterious. However, Peace is one of the three Superheroes that only appear after we have experienced Faith and Hope. Peace is that hero that goes deep within us to combat those villains of anxiety, despair, fear, and misery. Peace rocks those guys! Peace is that feeling we get when we experience the Faith that gives us Hope. It is a trust that cannot be fully explained, but is that hero that can immediately change our day or our lives. Without Peace, it is nearly impossible to experience the Joy of which we sing at Christmas time.
4. Joy – Joy is that Superhero that will never leave us, once we have experienced it. Joy is that base-level part of our being that is present regardless of our circumstances. To me, the Superhero of Joy can be described like this,  “Happiness depends to a large degree on our circumstances, but the joy of God is ever-present and ever-working to impact our lives and the lives of those around us.”  Joy finds us when our friends desert us. Joy is not afraid of the dark, our enemies, our thoughts, or our problems. Joy will stick to us when we have nothing else. Joy doesn’t have to have a GPS to find us because she is with us wherever we go. And, Joy is the one that produces Love in our lives.
5. Love – Love is that Superhero in our lives that others can see and that impacts, not only our own lives, but the lives of others, as well. Love is that Superhero that can change the world around us. Love is all-powerful and is that Superhero invented by God and that comes to us straight from Him. The Bible (in 1 Corinthians 13) says this about the Superhero Love:  “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. …. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” Love is the greatest and most powerful of the Christmas Superheroes.

So, there you have it… the five Superheroes of Christmas! Have you ever experienced these guys? Do you have them in your life guarding you, protecting you, changing you, and, as a result, changing others around you? Without these Superheroes, Christmas is empty and, in truth, without meaning. It all starts with Faith. The Bible says (in John 3:16), “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.” If you believe this is true, you can have the Superhero of Faith. Just trust God, ask Him to forgive you, and promise you’ll do your best to live for Him the rest of your life. By placing your faith (little “F”) in Him, God will give you Faith (big “F”). When you have the Superhero of Faith, all the rest of the Superheroes of Christmas will follow in your life.

If you would like to know more about these Superheroes or how you can find that Superhero of Faith, feel free to send me a note and I will help. God loves you and wants everyone to experience Christmas in all its wonder and excitement… the way He intended… with the five Superheroes of Christmas!

I hope this is your best Christmas yet!