We had homecoming at East Davidson last week. It can be a wild and fun week. There are theme dress up days, a huge pep rally, and the big football game. It is fun to go to the game and see the guys try to win the victory. It is also fun to see who will be elected homecoming queen. I like to stand in the crowd and see my former students. This year I watched a great performance by the band for the half-time show. After it ended they crowned this yearís homecoming king and queen. It was an all around great day.
One of the really fun parts of the day is during the pep rally when the teachers put on a faculty skit. I am not sure why I did not get involved prior to this year, but this year I jumped in with both feet. The teacher who organizes the skit decided that we would do a superhero theme this year. The idea was that an evil villain would come in and capture the homecoming court. Then there would be a need for some superheroes to come free the young ladies from the villain.
The problem was each superhero had flaws. Superman and Wonder Woman had become overweight and were unable to free the girls. Each of the other heroes wasÖdifferent. I played a character from a Saturday Night Live skit that plays a cowbell. My character is just plain annoying and the hope was that I would annoy the villain and earn the release of the homecoming queens. As you can imagine, I was not successful at earning their freedom. It took the football team to come out and save the day.
The skit was fun and the students enjoyed their teachers acting crazy. Even though the superheroes were not successful in their task of saving the homecoming court, the skit provides a great backdrop for an important lesson. The superheroes were not perfect, they had weaknesses and flaws. They are much like you and me. While each one of us has ways in which we are strong and invincible, we also have flaws and weaknesses.
I believe it was Godís original plan that we be created without imperfections, weaknesses, and a vulnerability to sin. When man fell because of the lack of obedience in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the picture. Our disobedience led to the development of weaknesses in our character. Each of us has areas in our lives that are broken and we need the grace and mercy of God.
What I find to be my kryptonite might be something that you can easily defeat. Does that make you a better person than me? No. It proves that I am a sinner struggling to walk and live out my faith. That is what God expects me to do. He wants me to put on the armor of God, to take the tempting thoughts captive, and to work to gain victory in my life. He wants the same thing for you in your areas of weakness.
We all have our own faults and weaknesses. We need to recognize them and avoid situations where they can gain the victory in our lives. We need to recognize our own kryptonite, know how the enemy wants to use it against us, and look for ways to avoid it. I believe that with Godís help we can even find victory and freedom from the things that easily tripped us up in the past. But we must remain vigilant and careful so we do not fall prey to our own evil desires.
Sin and temptation are all around us, kryptonite waiting for our moment of weakness. But God is stronger and will help us escape the temptations of life if we will call upon Him. It helps to memorize His word because that is the sword we can use to put the enemy on the run. Peace and victory are available to each one of us through the Spirit of God. If we will walk by the Spirit we can overcome.
I want to encourage you to believe that God intends for you to overcome and find true victory in your life. There is no kryptonite too strong for you, but there is also grace, mercy, and forgiveness available for you when you make the wrong choice. I believe it is Godís plan for the New Testament Christian to be whole, healed, forgiven, and righteous because Jesus paid the price for each one of us. So go and be a superhero to the people you know and be a beacon of hope in a dark world.
Doug Creamer teaches Marketing at East Davidson High School. His website is located at www.dougcreamer.com Contact him at P.O. Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or email him at doug@dougcreamer.com