As a child, I had a strong sense of justice. I lived in a home where the scales tipped heavily down in one direction, and I thought it was my job to defend the defenseless. If I could have had any superpower, it would have been the strength to make a nasty person behave nicely.

I pushed and shoved in hopes of righting a wrong. What I realized after many rancorous battles was that she who yells loudest does not win.

Hostility never saves the day.

All my self-righteous indignation did little to change the acrimonious state of affairs in my environment.
I can’t strong-arm my way to greater peace. Pride never tears down strongholds of hatred and abuse.

Years of pain and misunderstanding later, I sat vigil in a hospital room next to the sick bed of the pesky person who I’d viewed as my adversary for close to three decades. Caring for a fragile shell of the broken bully cut through the layers of bravado.

I saw the raw weakness and need in the eyes of my enemy. God spoke clearly to me on that day. The Great Physician told me to lay down my sword and put on my servant’s hat.

My job is not to chastise and cajole. My calling is to support and strengthen.

If I became a helper, God would step in as a Healer.

Using my own might, my flesh will never succeed in this endeavor, but I’ve got access to God’s supernatural strength as I rely on the power of the Holy Spirit that dwells in me.

I’ve learned that love is my superpower.

If you are sitting down somewhere reading this right now and thinking, I want to love well, but most days I am struggling not to let my head explode, I totally understand. Loving well in hard spaces is not easy. But we’ve received the love of God, and His love lives in us. We just need to remember how much we are loved ourselves.

Let’s chat about how we can access God’s love and use love as a weapon to win the war against animosity.

4 Ways Love Can Be Your Superpower

Respond with forbearance.

Love patiently perseveres.

“Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult” (Proverbs 12:16, NIV)

Extends grace.

Love puts down the hammer and presses in with a hug.

“Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” (Proverbs 10:12)

Promote peace.

Love builds bridges and brings a casserole dish instead of carrying a list of complaints.

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” (Romans 12:18)

Speak with kindness.

Love uplifts the conversation by focusing on the positive and using sweet words.

“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)

As we tap into God’s supernatural love, He transforms broken relationships and restores families.

I wish I could tell you that God has completely redeemed the brokenness in my family of origin, but that is not that case. What has happened is that as I’ve surrendered my will to God’s, He has softened my heOnart and changed my perspective.

I no longer seek justice. I long for salvation.

I’ve come to view my family as my mission field, not my battlefield. Sure, there are still minefields of misunderstanding to wade through, but rather than fight in the flesh, I choose to wage war on my knees and don the armor of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul challenged the warrior believers in the early church to “be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet” (I Thessalonians 5:8).

Just this week, we had family drama. I’ve once again adopted the hashtag #ArmorOn and chosen to let God fight my battles for me, rather than respond with vindictiveness. Just because someone picks a fight with me doesn’t mean I have to put up my fists. I can fall at the feet of Jesus and crucify my pride instead.

Want to join me in loving well? We can’t love others well until we realize how deeply loved we are by God. As we let God pour His love into us, then His grace in our lives will overflow and spill out to those around us.

To help remind you how much God loves you, I’ve created a beautiful list of 7 Scriptural promises for you to meditate on this week. Sign up today as a member of the Wildfire Faith Community and  grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning letting God’s love wash over you as you worship the One who loves you most. Love can’t be your superpower if you don’t recognize how much God loves you first. 

With God’s help, we can love deep and tear down those walls of discord. “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (I Corinthians 13:7, NLT). Choosing to love is hard, but your sacrifice will bring healing. Stubborn hearts soften as we step forward with open hearts and arms outstretched. Love changes everything.

The enemy of our souls loves to plant seeds of discord in our families – especially around the holidays. At one point over the holidays, I was pretty sure I’d end up eating turkey alone on Thanksgiving and decorating my tree in a puddle of tears. But I prayed through the pain, and I responded with love.

If we all use love as our superpower in hard spaces, we will see God transform the atmosphere around us. Souls will be saved. Marriages will be cemented. Children will thrive, and friendships will flourish. Love triumphs every time.

Love is your superpower. It melts hard hearts and breathes life and light into dark places.

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