Super Antelope! Super You!

We are all made for a purpose. God designed every creature and every person with a specific purpose in mind. Take the addax, for example. Mentioned in Deuteronomy 14:5 (NLT), the addax is a antelope (an animal similar to a deer) designed for life in the desert. It has light-colored fur to reflect sunlight and wide hooves for walking on sand. Because it digests food very slowly, the addax doesn’t need much to drink; it gets enough water from the plants it manages to find. Scientists think the addax has special pouches in its stomach that hold and store water for when it is needed. If the addax was a superhero it would be Desert Antelope, surviving where no antelope should be able to!

Just as the addax was designed with special features for life in the harsh desert, we as God’s children are designed with a purpose in mind. In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Each of us is created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27) with special gifts and talents that make us unique. Being unique means you are one of a kind, with specific things that make you you. God calls us to use these talents to serve: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others … so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 4:10-11). You might be really good at writing stories, at taking care of people, at making people smile, or any number of other things. You can think of these gifts and talents as your individual superpowers.

Be a Hero: Try This!

Make a list of all the things you’re good at. These are your superpowers!

Now think about how you could use these gifts to serve others in your community.

Then think of your very own supername and design a super symbol to represent you!

Action Hero

Superpowers are only good if you use them well. Superheroes are heroes because of their actions. It’s hard to be a hero just sitting on the couch. Can you imagine if all the comic book heroes just stayed home? Boring! How has God designed you to serve in your community? How can you be the best Super You?

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Editor's note: We are always learning new things here at The Banner. Though this article was published in the February 2020 print edition with the headline, "Super Deer! Super You!" we have changed all references to deer in the article to the more accurate animal, antelope. We regret the mistake.