Heroes – we’re looking for them everywhere. In children’s movies, the hero rides in on a white horse and battles bravely to save the Princess. In more “realistic” movies, the hero defends the girl of his dreams from people who would belittle her existence, protects her from wounds of a far more personal nature. Something in our hearts thrives on this kind of heroic activity, thrills to see the fearlessness, the bravery, the chivalry, the happily-ever-afters that can only come after a battle has been fought and won – and we long to be a part of the adventure, long to meet a hero ourselves, or better yet, to become the hero. But do we really know what a hero is? According to Webster’s 1828 dictionary, a “hero” is, “a man of distinguished valor, intrepidity or enterprise in danger; a great illustrious or extraordinary person.” Though we all, on some level, want to be a hero in our own right, how many of us are willing to face danger to prove we have what it takes? How many of us are willing to exert the effort to become an extraordinary person? A person of extraordinary character and expertise? So maybe not all of us are ready to be the heroes God called us to be, but we all long to be, and I believe, we were all created to be heroes in this life, rescuing people from the darkness of their sins with the brilliant light of Christ’s salvation.
In the interim, though, while we are growing and learning in Christ how to face our lives fearlessly and boldly, with a passion and determination to be excellent in all we do, while we are learning to be heroes for Christ – are we paying attention to who our heroes are? I mean, if you ask a small child who their hero is, chances are they’ll say “Mom,” or “Dad” or some sports figure like Michael Jordan. But when was the last time you asked yourself that question? Maybe you’re shying away from that question. Maybe you don’t feel like Christians should have heroes outside of Christ, and I can understand that, I guess. We don’t want to idolize people, after all. However, there should be people we look up to in the faith, people around us that we can pinpoint as role models, people who are living extraordinary lives for the Gospel. Psalm 16:3, in the New Living Translation, says, “The godly people in the land are my true heroes! I take pleasure in them!” Godly people should be our heroes – not just godly people of the present, but godly people of the past. Hebrews 12:1 tells us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, cheering us on in the faith, and that with their encouragement, we should drop every extra weight, every “sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and … run with endurance the long race set before us” (Voice). The people of faith who have gone before us, their lives and testimonies are meant to be an encouragement to us, an example to u; their lives are meant to cheer us on to really pursue the things of God the way we should. Hebrews 13:7 tells us, in the Amplified Bible, to
“Remember your leaders and superiors in authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).” (emphasis mine)
See, people of faith who have lived before us, the heroes of faith who blazed the trail before we were even born, as well as the leaders in the church that God sets over us – their lives are meant to be an example for us to follow. Their lives are supposed to teach us about how to follow God more closely, supposed to inspire us to a more passionate pursuit of Christ. And they do. The only question is – are we willing to be taught by them? Are we willing to read biographies that will inspire us to a greater faith in God, biographies that will remind us how great our God is, that will show us it is possible to live with a great faith in this world? Are we willing to go to those older in the faith than us and ask them what they do in their walk with God that would really help us, too? Are we disciplined enough to take notes on the things we’re learning from their lives, and to put into practice what we’ve learned (from both their successes and failures)? This is something I’ve been working on. In the last few weeks, I’ve been re-reading bits and pieces of Gladys Aylward’s biography. She was a missionary to China long before I was born, a missionary who led one hundred orphans over two mountain ranges to safety in the middle of a war, and her life is such a testimony to me of what great faith looks like; it stirs me up and excites me and causes me to want to live a more radical lifestyle for Christ. So far, my notes on her biography include the following lessons:
- Your mission field starts where you are. You better find something to do for the Kingdom of God where you are or you’ll never be ready for ministry somewhere else. (Gladys Aylward began by ministering on street corners, figuring she would need practice preaching if she was going to be a missionary, and by rescuing women from lives of prostitution in England, before she ever made it to China).
- Any work that gets you closer to the mission field of your dreams is worth it. (Gladys worked as a maid and took any other night jobs she could get, saving all her pennies for her fare to China. Even though it wasn’t where her heart was, whatever work she could find was worth it to get closer to her dream).
- Think about the skills you’ll need to have on the mission field you dream of, and begin practicing and sharpening those skills now.
| Gladys Aylward leading the children to safety. |
So, today, I invite you to start asking yourself who your real heroes are, and to join me in reading biographies of great Christians like Smith Wigglesworth, Oral Roberts, and George Muller, to inspire your faith, and to help you in your walk with God.
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