"We get lost in desires and never find what our soul longs for." -Erwin McManus, Soul Cravings
Who is your favorite super hero? As a kid, I liked Aquaman. He could exist beneath the waves unencumbered and had the power to communicate with under water creatures. He was part of a team of crime fighters called the Justice League of America. Even though he will forever be the butt of jokes thanks to his fishy powers, comic readers have come to love Aquaman as a noble (and very powerful) figure who is forever torn between the worlds of land and sea. In a 2011 reader poll, Parade magazine ranked Aquaman among the Top 10 Superheroes of All Time.
I think there is something within us that wants to believe we could be like them. Secretly we may hope there is some hidden unique power within all of us that needs to be discovered as significant and somehow be used for the greater good of all humanity. Film producers sure recognize how lucrative the market can be for super hero movies. Hitfix researched the greatest superhero moves of all time. You can read their discoveries here.
Super heroes are cartoon characters. They can inspire us and help us dream big dreams. But, they're not real. And beneath life's debris pile, we're tempted to give up believing that we could ever have anything in common with such extraordinary individuals. Sadness, disappointment or even resentment can creep in and soon we become resigned to accept a misconception about ourselves. Eventually, we may give up believing altogether that we are extraordinary or that life has a greater meaning and purpose.
However, imagine the impact to the human soul, if we realized that God really did place a soul craving within each of us that drives us to search for meaning, destiny and purpose? Maybe the inner stirring we sometimes feel is really God nudging us toward his preferred future for us. God has a clear vision for our lives and for the world. Maybe dreams, aspirations and callings don't really even belong to us but belong to God. He just allows them to inspire us. Desire, calling and ambition all have deep significance when they are from God. Join us this weekend for worship as we talk more about destiny and possibly discover how to fulfill yours.
"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He also has planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds [a divinely implanted sense of a purpose working through the ages which nothing under the sun but God alone can satisfy], yet so that men cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 Amplified Bible