No Contest

When forensic scientist, Barry Allen was struck by lightning, his life was changed forever. After waking from a coma, Barry learned that he was now somehow capable of moving at superhuman speed. The more he tested himself the faster he got. It wasn’t long before he discovered that he wasn’t just running at high speed, but was tapping into a trans-dimensional power known as the “speed force”. This discovery helped to explain why Barry could travel at such a high velocity and not hurt himself and things around him. This connection didn't just provide a physical barrier, but allowed the Scarlet Speedster to even travel through solid objects and eventually, time itself. Barry's ability to travel at such speeds and defy the laws of time and physics makes him capable of superhuman feats unmatched by most fictional heroes. It never ceases to baffle me then, that with all of this power, The Flash's chief villains regularly cause him trouble. A psychic gorilla, a man with a freeze ray gun or even a weather wand -- these are some of the problems Barry finds himself dealing with. Sure he ends up winning, but I often find myself wondering, "how is it even a contest?"

I think we should be asking ourselves the exact same question. The Bible regularly describes what we are capable of through a connection to our Creator. Paul reminds the Ephesians in his letter that God is able, "through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” The key here is that while God is more than capable of flexing His muscles through us, it's us that so often fail to claim this power. Barry should be able to end nearly all of his battles within the blink of an eye. Inevitably however, his enemies realize his crucial weakness. Distraction. This world is full of them, things that take our focus off of Christ and our clear path to victory. Sometimes the villains get in his head, other times, he's caught off guard and gets stuck in place. And of course there's always the popular forced choice between stopping the criminal or handling the bombs stashed around town. These days, there are more ways of distracting ourselves than ever. It seems all too easy to lose focus and forget how close victory is. No matter how bad it looks for The Flash, he's always one second away from turning the tide. The moment Barry regains his focus, taps into the source of his power and fulfills his potential, he walks away with the win.

You may not be the fastest person alive, but like Barry, you are capable of infinitely more than you might ask or think of. 2 Timothy 1:7 tells us that we haven't been given a spirit of fear, but of power. And 2 Peter 1:3 tells us that through that divine power, we've got everything we need to succeed. The key is that we get all of this by coming to know Him. Put your faith in the one who created time and space itself and you'll be on the fast track to victory in no time.