Sunday, July 02, 2006

Oh My God....I'm a MUTANT!!!!

Here’s some food for thought (1)…

…The comic book (and also movies), about the X-Men, has capitalized on the concept of mutants existing along side homo sapiens on earth. These mutants have special gifts, which “normal men” do not. These mutants become ostracized and persecuted by other men out of fear and jealousy. The concept is very appealing because it is looked at as a metaphor for persecution of minority groups, (I.E….Jews, gays, you name it). But I see a different parable working within the framework of the X-Men…That men of God, who have truly received Christ in their lives as their savior and accepted the Holy Spirit, are changed into, “God’s Mutants!

MUTANT Defined: 1. Undergoing mutation; resulting from mutation. 2. A new type of organism produced as a result of mutation 3. He who has changed.

The Old Testament prophet Samuel, said it very plainly, "The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will be changed into a different person!"

Food for thought (2)… Are you really utilizing the “special talents” God has gifted you with, (those set of natural skills and life experiences that make you uniquely you…your Mutant Abilities, so to speak), or are you keeping them from the world?

We all have them, (our mutant abilities), just some of us either: Don’t want to admit to them; feel embarrassed by them; don’t see a use for them; or haven’t quite figured out what our talents are.

The New Testament, speaks quite a bit about our talents or special gifts. In fact, in the book of Acts and the letters of the Apostle Paul, it is said that when we accept Jesus in our lives as our savior we are given God’s Holy Spirit, through which we are changed and given our special gifts, or those gifts we already had since before our conception, will now come to the surface.

Jesus himself speaks quite a bit about the nature of God’s Mutants, (true followers). He describes us as not quite fitting in with the rest of the world…as being “in the world,” but not being “of the world”. We are described as being literally like aliens on our own planet! Have you even felt that like? “Hey, I know I’m a human being, but I just don’t feel like I belong with most of those around me, or what society thinks I should be. Why do I see things so differently than most of people I meet?” That’s because YOU ARE DIFFERENT…you are God’s Mutant!

In the book of his Apostle, Mathew, (25:14-30), Jesus talks about our “special talents” and our responsibility to use them, or lose them, (so to speak). We are directed to take our God gifted talents, and to use them to, (using a parable), plant seeds, cultivate and harvest an abundant crop. Crop of what? A crop of New (God's) Mutants of course!

We are all called, when we become believers, to share God’s Glory, (or simply put, the process that we ourselves have experienced through accepting God…salvation, forgiveness of past, present and future sins...and our awakening or discovery of, our “Mutant abilities” that God has gifted us with). Through this sharing we allow other people to experience that joy for themselves, also find salvation…and tap into their “Mutant Abilities.” To keep our joy and “Mutant abilities” to ourselves is to waste them! God gave them to us for a reason. It is our job to discover that reason, or purpose, and go out and use them. If we don’t, to paraphrase Jesus, “then we are like a lamp that is kept under the bed at night…it does not provide any light to those who need to see in the darkness!”

This is very reflective of how my life had become. God had gifted me with a very natural and incredible talent to draw, which became very evident in my life as early as 6 years old, when I could master drawing in perspective without even understanding what the heck perspective was. By 8 years old I was being passed around the classrooms in my school, to do portraits of the teachers. But even though, my “special talents” always defined me, I never fully put them to use “in the world”.

(SIDEBAR: Isn’t it curious how “the world” looks at those with artistic abilities…. I.E., writers, artists, song writers, poets etc…that though we have a special gift, those skills are not looked at as really important to making a living, like those gifted for business, engineering, sales etc.)?

It wasn’t until I accepted God/Jesus in my heart, mind and soul that the true purpose for my “Mutant Artistic Abilities was shown to me…to share God’s word through Graphic Novels/Comic book presentations. In my life those God given artistic talents, though used to varying degrees, were never a “LIGHT TO THOSE WANDERING IN THE DARKNESS,” until now. And only then, was inner peace given to me through purpose that was never present in my life.

It’s amazing the number of stories that this you will hear from incredibly talented individuals, (artists, actors, musicians, writers and even athletes), who reflect this same idea! A skeptic might say, “but what about all those successful artistic or talented people, who do not believe?” I would answer, their level of success will be fleeting and of “this world”, (money, fame, idolatry), but will not be of a lasting nature.

Success in God’s eyes is eternal and alternatively not using our God given “Mutant Abilities”, leads to separation from God eternally, (remember, most of us are on this earth only about 70 years, but then with God forever…or not)!

Jesus told us, “For everyone who has, (talents), will be given more and he will have abundance. Whoever who does not have, (doesn’t use those talents), even what he has will be taken away from him and he will be thrown outside into the darkness.”

So, revel in your “Mutant Abilities”! Like Professor X would say, “Find the purpose for them…. and go out and be a light for other men with them, rather than using them for mere personal gain!”

There is where you will find fulfillment in life as “God’s Mutant!”

Copyright, Robert James Luedke, 2006. www.HEADPRESS.info