Spider-man is Real

Well, in principle anyways.

Spider-man has definitely impacted my life, even helping shape it at a younger age. Not only him but other childhood heroes I had, such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Tai Kamiya from Digimon. Before you laugh (which honestly, is OK if you do!), let me explain what I mean.

God speaks to people indifferent ways. When someone asks me how to better listen for his voice, I first try to destroy the concept many people have that His voice is either heard audibly or in your head. He also speaks in dreams, pictures, creation, knowledge, and an endless list of other things. It's important to recognize How God speaks to you as an individual, the love language in which God specifically uses with you in mind.

He even uses the secular to speak. Jesus often did that with His parables, which I find fascinating. My good friend Chris had an experience with the Lord as DMX was crying out to God on one of his albums while Chris was high. The fear of God came over Him and he'll never forget that. DMX, of all people!

For me, one of the more dramatic worldview changes came when Spider-man came out. I was 15 years old and my Grandpa took me to see it the first time. I remembered the impact that it had on me in regards to responsibility. Forever engraved in me was Peter Parker walking away from Mary Jane at the end because He chose his destiny instead. That lesson that God used set me up to be responsible, and that year I started my own D.J. business and also ran with Firestorm, an evangelism ministry that I pioneered.

Even more dramatically was Spider-man 2 that came out the summer before my senior year. The whole movie was the struggle over whether or not he would choose Mary Jane over his calling. He knew that both could not co-exist, and he experienced the pain, love, and sacrifice that comes along with being who you are meant to be. It sobered me unlike anything I had experienced up to that point because God spoke very clearly to me through it. I made up my mind -- I wouldn't choose anything over my calling.

That was challenged to the point of agony several times from that point all the way until now, and will continue. I didn't know that I would almost choose a job over ministry schooling. I didn't know that I would meet an amazing girl that wouldn't be God's plan. I didn't know that time and time again, I would be confronted with the deep personal agony of wanting something so badly but not being able to have it if I wanted my destiny. Had I not had what God taught me in 2002 and 2004, I would not be here at Victory as a pastor, because each of those deep battles birthed the path that led me to this point.

I could have been married, but not at VCC.
I could have been successful at Starbucks, but not at VCC.
Last year a battle emerged that challenged my calling...
And even a new battle now that has caused me to think about all of this again.

And wow...all of those battles went down to the wire. The closest thing I can describe it as would be 2 basketball games in a row, games 6 and 7, facing elimination each time, shooting the ball from half-court at the buzzer to tie the game and go to overtime. I sunk the desperation shot each time and won in overtime -- but only because God gave me some crazy dose of grace at the last second.And the thing is, that was just in the first round. So-to-speak, I'm young and still have 2 rounds to go until I reach the Finals.

I wish I could tell you that you wont go through deep personal battles like this, but you will. They will never end. At different periods of your life you will have the option to choose something (even a GOOD thing) over God's plan. You have to remember your calling and cry out to God, because even then there is no promise that you will make the right choice. Pray scary prayers, because apart from His help, you will be so emotionally clouded that you wont make the right choice if you don't seek counsel from both God and wise men and women. Even after that, making the right decision will require all of your effort and all of His grace.

I am encouraged by the way Spider-man 2 ends. Peter makes the choice of his call over Mary Jane, and he still gets her at the end of the movie. Wow! As a result of my obedience God will eventually give me what I most desire (if I still have that desire once He is through), but He will likely make sure I'm good and dead before He does. Only then can I live with that blessing.