Are You a Guardian of the Galaxy?

Did Marvel just do it again? Arguably the most successful movie franchise of all-time went out on a huge limb with Guardians of the Galaxy, and I’m pretty sure it will (yet again) pay off enormously.

Or it will flop massively…

Either way, I love the fact that with all the rights and ownership of so many better-known characters, Marvel decided to drop $150 MILLION dollars on rag tag benchwarmer superheroes who just might capture the hearts of people who currently have spandex-burnout.

And at the end of the day, who out there isn’t just a little curious about a machine gun toting raccoon???

The heroes of Guardians have checkered pasts with little to no potential. They are definitely not billionaire playboy philanthropists or Norse gods, yet they come together to create a collective force that is a formidable as any other you can name.

How did this happen? Well, here’s their worldview as expressed by one of the characters named Peter, aka Star-Lord: “So here we are: a thief, two thugs, an assassin and a maniac. But we’re not going to stand by as evil wipes out the galaxy. I guess we’re stuck together, partners…”

Sometimes I’d like to think that I’m like Thor or Captain America when it comes to my role in advancing the Kingdom of God…that I am a consistently focused victory machine who is making an eternal difference in the battle against the Enemy.

Yeah…right.

Closer to the truth, though, is that I’m more like a Guardian of the Galaxy, and doesn’t that make more sense? The God of the Universe does not expect us to come with the brains of Tony Stark or the strength of a Hulk. Rather, He loves to use the ones who never thought they would qualify in the first place! But don’t take my word for it – hear the words from God Himself:

Look carefully at your call, brothers and sisters. By human standards, not many of you are deemed to be wise. Not many are considered powerful. Not many of you come from royalty, right? But celebrate this: God selected the world’s foolish to bring shame upon those who think they are wise; likewise, He selected the world’s weak to bring disgrace upon those who think they are strong.  God selected the common and the castoff, whatever lacks status, so He could invalidate the claims of those who think those things are significant (1 Corinthians 1:26-28, The Voice).

The world is full of people who mistakenly think they have a superhero inside of them, but when it comes to His followers, God decided to take a different route. He purposely went out of His way to find the thugs, the thieves, and yes – even the occasional maniac who wants to go crazy for the glory of Christ. When the “weak” of this world decide to take a stand in the power of Jesus as evil threatens to wipe out the galaxy, “superhero” things start to happen!

There was a weak little shepherd boy named David who defeated a giant and became a man after God’s own heart.

There was a stuttering exile named Moses who led six million Hebrews out of slavery.

There was an impoverished and introverted teenager named Mary who brought the Savior into the world.

And there was an over zealous persecutor of Christians named Saul who became Paul – the guy whom God used to plant dozens of churches and pen the majority of the New Testament!

When you think about it, aren’t we all a little more like Peter, Gamora, Drax, Groot, and yes, even a machine gun toting Raccoon, than we are Captain America and Thor? God is constantly opening up opportunities for us to give Him our weakness in exchange for His strength, and our guilty past to bring about justice for His glory while we are here on earth.

So if you aren’t really feeling like a mighty Avenger for THE Cause right now, perhaps that’s good! Ponder how you are like me – closer to a Guardian of the Galaxy who is looking to team up with other misfits so we can be used by God to stop the ultimate evil – people living apart from Jesus, without the hope of heaven and headed for an eternity in hell. THE Cause is no fantasy trip, it is the reality that truly wicked things are happening all around us, and when we let God use our weakness and our past for His Kingdom, it will make a difference that even the angels will marvel at!

Flashpoint: Ignite Into Action

When we start to take on our role of “Guardian of the Galaxy” in a serious way, seriously amazing things start to happen! This week, ask God to show you how He can use your weakness to bring out the strength of the gospel and THE Cause. Then think of at least one way that you can step out and take a risk as you stand up for good and battle back evil.

Accelerant: Fuel for THE Cause

Pray: Father, thank You for choosing the weak things of the world like me to advance Your Kingdom and THE Cause. Help me to give my past and my weaknesses to You to bring glory to Your name.

Read: 2 Corinthians 12:10. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Get: Awkward is Awesome! Don’t let your feelings of inadequacy keep your from sharing Jesus’ grace and truth. Pick up an Awkward is Awesome tee shirt today and let it remind you that God can exchange your weakness for His strength.