Robin

When I say Batman, what do you automatically think of? Robin. He is the perpetual sidekick, never the main event or the headline superhero. He's always there to help Batman and do what needs to be done.

A lot of people don't remember the old school TV show (BAM! ZAP! KERPOW!), but in the show and in the cartoons today, when Robin did what Batman told him to do every thing went as planned and they caught the bad guy. When Robin decided to do things his own way and get ahead of Batman, the Caped Crusader had to come in and fix the problems that were created by the sidekick forgetting his place.

In the New Testament, we look at people like Peter and Paul as the superheroes who got it all done. But behind the scenes there were some amazing sidekicks that did not desire the limelight. They just wanted to serve Jesus and others and point people to the cross. One of the men who stand out to me is Silas.

Silas is mentioned 31 times in the New Testament, only three times is his name mentioned by itself. Almost always he is listed as "{Somebody} and Silas." Most often he is seen as Paul's sidekick and is with him on many of his most memorable events.

The first time we see Silas' name, he is called respected. The last time he is referred to as faithful. His Christian walk is characterized by consistently follow Jesus, not caring who gets the credit.

That's what we need more of in Christianity today. We have too many people that want their name listed first and to have someone pat them on the back and tell them how great they are. We need more people who will be sidekicks, who will take a back seat in order to accomplish great things for God.

Robin (and Silas) are like offensive lineman. The running back and quarterback get all the love and all the press, but neither could do anything if not for the offensive lineman. They clear the holes for the running back, so he can turn a big run up the field. They protect the quarterback so he can find the open receiver for a touchdown. Then they trot back to the sideline, ready to do their job again. They only get noticed when they mess up and the quarterback gets sacked or the running back is stopped before the line of scrimmage. We need more offensive lineman in Christianity.

How about you? Do you do the good things just to get noticed by people or do you simply want to see God glorified and you will do whatever it takes - even if it means nobody knows what you did except you and God. Can you be a sidekick for Jesus?

Wolverine

When you think of superheroes that can be used to teach Christian lessons and compared to Biblical people, you probably don't think about Wolverine - the anti-hero of the X-Men.

When I think about Wolverine, I think about someone who attacks firsts and asks questions later. I see a man who has made so many mistakes and sometimes doesn't know how to deal with them. He has untapped leadership potential because too often he just does his own thing with little regard for anyone else. But if there is someone who you want on your team when the situation turns ugly - it's Wolverine. He'll step out and up when nobody else will. I see a lot of the Apostle Peter in the character of Wolverine.

Peter had been known to use his sword when it wasn't the time. He definitely made some mistakes and dealt with them by running back to the things he did before he was called. While Peter got away from his problems by going fishing, Wolverine always ran trying to both hide from and discover his past.

The main difference between Peter and Wolverine is that Peter grew up and became the leader that he was created to be. While Wolverine routinely collapses beneath the weight of his past and goes off on his own, Peter, when confronted by Jesus, eventually responds in the correct manner and sees 3,000 people come to know Christ at his first sermon.

That's the choice we face in our life. Do we respond to failures in our past (we all have them) like Wolverine or Peter? Both have similar personalities, but Wolverine consistently allows his past to drag him into seasons of depression and uselessness to the X-men. Peter, on the other hand, realized his failures but followed Jesus and moved beyond the mistakes.

Your team (your church body) needs you and your unique abilities. You cannot allow the past to dictate your future and the plans that God has for you. Put your mistakes in the rearview mirror and do some "uncanny" things for Christ.