As a young kid, I always used to play superheroes.  I would get a little blanket, tie it around my neck like a cape, and “fly” across the yard vanquishing any foe that stood in my way.  This may seem a bit childish to you, but I’m sure that many of us, deep down inside, would love to have a superpower.  We imagine what it would be like to fly, turn invisible, or pick up whole buildings, but then we come back to reality and think how impossible these things are.  And they are impossible.

However, most of us don’t realize that God has given each and every one of us an amazing superpower.  It is so powerful that it can break down the barriers that Satan and his demons set up in front of you and other people.  It melts the ice that holds hearts captive, and shines light into dark minds.  What is this power?  It is simple - love.

That’s right…

Now don’t roll your eyes and groan - you’re probably thinking “this is just another article by one of those fanatics who gives extremely impractical advice on how to do unbelievable things”.  Well, I am telling you how to do unbelievable things, but they are extremely practical things that you can start doing today.

What is love?

I’m sure you all have your own definition of love - maybe it’s buying your mother roses on mother’s day, sending your friend a “get well” card when their sick, or helping someone in your church move to a new house.  Those things are good, but true love, in its deepest sense, is putting someone else’s will before your own.  This means not only giving the other guy the biggest half of the cookie, but it also means doing things like inviting someone on vacation who hasn’t had one in a while, even if you don’t particularly like them.

How much power does it have?

Love not only builds up relationships between you and the people you show the love to, but it is appealing to the layman who sees it in you.  I was just at a men’s retreat over the weekend, and a man there named Tunch told us about how he came to know the Lord.  He said that in the beginning, the thing that attracted him to Christianity wasn’t necessarily Jesus Christ - he didn’t even learn about Him until later on.  No, the thing that attracted him was the love that he saw being played out in the lives of a group of Christians on his football team.  Something about the passionate, unconditional love that those football players had for each other was an extremely powerful magnet that pulled him closer to them, and eventually got him to ask the reason for the love they had.

How can I use this superpower?

In Tunch’s case, which I just described, the only reason he was drawn to Christianity was because of the love he saw withing a group of Christians on his football team.  Let’s face it - if a non-Christian is out walking the streets of New York and he sees a man dressed in an expensive suit carrying a Bible walking towards him, he would most likely high-tail it out of there.  I have to admit - I might do the same thing, even after being a Christian all these years.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that street evangelism is a bad thing to do - it has brought many, many people to the faith.  However, I think that so-called “Bible wavers” have been deemed excentric and avoided at all costs.

What I’m saying is this - if you live a life of love for God and for fellow men, you will touch many people not only in their heads, but down deep in their hearts.  This kind of touch doesn’t wear off quickly, and more often than not invites them to ask you about your faith.

Practically speaking

Ok, I said this would be practical, and it is.  To touch thousands of lives around you, you need simply to love the people God places in your life.  Truly care for them.  Don’t just “go through the motions” of being nice to them, but give them the love that bubbles over from the love that Jesus gives you.  When people see this kind of love, they won’t be able to help but ask you the reason for it.  This will open up doors that could never be opened before, and start conversations that could have eternal significance.