With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

You have a unique superpower, a gift or ability of value and importance to benefit the community or the world. It is an innate ability, gift or talent you were born with – so from your own perspective – it may not seem as though it is any ability at all, because it is simply part of the person you are and you accept it as a personality trait or flaw. That is, if you recognize it at all, due to suppression of your special powers early on, in your youth.

For those of us in the ministry of empowering people and helping them to recognize and embrace their unique abilities, it is not that dissimilar to the work of Xavier (Professor X) founder of the X-Men, as he seeks out mutants who possess unnatural abilities. For those who possess the abilities, in most cases they are perceived as a disability, they believe they are unworthy or are too timid and/or shy to be of any value to others. With Xavier’s coaching they discover what they had thought was a personal curse, was actually a super-power, if embraced and mastered. The comic book premise is not far from the truth.

Whether you thank Voltaire or Spider-man’s Uncle Ben for the phrase

with great power comes great responsibility spider man super powers abilities voltaire quote

With great power comes great responsibility

the fact remains that those who possess a particular superpower and wield it with power and authority, have an obligation to use their abilities for good and not evil. At the very least acknowledging and accepting the Hippocratic Oath’s tenet, “to do no harm,” is an honorable forbearance. Enough to give one pause before deploying your power in a way that may have a negative effect later or on someone else. Though, this cannot always be guaranteed that no one will ever be harmed, for that is a matter of perspective, but at least to be vigilantly respectful and cognoscente prior to executing your ability would be virtuous.

This caveat (and/or cause for pause) should preempt any use of power or force, from parenting to social interactions and from education to law enforcement, especially in acts of violence and war.

Sometimes, a well-pondered playing out of possible outcomes using your power of imagination, can help you come to a logical conclusion as to whether this is the right time, place and circumstance to use your special power in full force. You might conclude using only a small sample of your ability sufficient in the moment, or not using it may be your best contribution for the greater good.

The idea of considering what is in the best interest of the greater good is of paramount importance when exercising one’s innate powers and abilities. It’s as if you as the fully empowered superhero must act from a place of humility and possess a servant’s heart for maximum effectiveness and maintenance of potential damage control, always weighing the effects of your actions on others and the world at large.

It’s easy to understand why superheroes have the need to use an alter ego or alternative personality to blend in while navigating the world of everyday life, then don a costume when exercising their abilities in full force.

In fact, many of us tend to suit-up so-to-speak to exercise our superpowers in public, though many of us can conduct our contributions for the most part in private or secrecy.

Do you exercise your superpowers responsibly?

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