Heroes

HEROES

“And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise.” - Hebrews 11:39

Do you have a hero? Is there someone, living or deceased, that you look up to? There are several people that are heroes of mine. While a few may be well-known, most are obscure believers that will never be popular.

What makes a person a hero? Our unbelieving world worships athletes, musicians and actors. Although it isn't specified, unbelievers tend to worship people because of their appearance or talent.

For believers, we can fall into the same trap. Many mega-church pastors are heroes to their flock or TV audience because of their accomplishments or gifts.

The problem with heroes is that they are mere mortals. They are human like us. They make mistakes. They fail at times. They are far from perfect. Thus, we are disappointed when our heroes have character flaws or fall into moral failure.

As I get older, I am more impressed with such qualities as faith, character and courage. Obviously, these characteristics can be imitated by people. A minister can act pious when he is behind the pulpit, but his true character often rises to the surface when he faces temptations, trials or trouble.

We should be careful about the people we include in our list of heroes. Furthermore, Christians should be careful to maintain a proper perspective about our heroes. While we may respect our heroes, we should never worship them. Unbelievers tend to turn heroes into idols. As followers of Jesus, we should never be guilty of such a sin.

Although there are people I greatly respect, I don't follow them around from place to place. Neither do I have pictures of them hanging in my room. I am very aware of the fact that these individuals have feet of clay like I do.

You may be a hero to someone else. It could be a co-worker, family member or old classmate considers you to be a hero. More than likely, you really don't know about it. Most of the time, people keep their hero list personal and private.

Whether you are on someone's hero list or not, you should live a life that won't disappoint others should you be their hero. Be the real thing. Be a better person in private than you are in public. Be a person of integrity. Model Christianity through your character, conduct and conversations. When you do make mistakes, seek forgiveness and restoration. You'll never be perfect, but you can a faithful follower of Jesus.

Let me tell you about a hero of mine. He is hated by most. He modeled love and forgiveness. His Name is Jesus. Yes, there are others I respect, but none of them measure up to Jesus.

Jesus is the hero I want to model my life after. He lived a perfect life. He cared for the poor. He healed the sick. He raised the dead. More specifically, He went to the cross and died so I may live. I love Him because He first loved me. Although He died, He rose again. He is interceding to the Father on my behalf. He is coming soon to take me to live in His home. That's my hero!

Jesus is more than a hero. He is God! It is wrong to worship human heroes. Yet it is wrong if I fail to worship Jesus. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He deserves my adoration, honor and praise.

Let me recommend Him to you. Believe in Him. Trust Him. Serve Him. Follow Him. Love Him.

Jesus is a hero that will never disappoint us.