I know something about you!
You have heroes in your life, people you look up to, people you try to emulate, people you desire to be like. You may have never met them in person but you have them.
I know because I also have heroes in my life as does everyone!
The power of heroes
Heroes play a vital role in your hearts. They infiltrate your thoughts, they determine your likes and dislikes, they influence your decisions and set a course for your life.
Heroes truly are powerful! Yet we rarely choose our own heroes!
It’s like falling in love
Most people approach heroes like falling in love; it just happens to you and you have no control over it. You can’t start it and once it happens you can’t stop it.
Unfortunately that’s a lie!
You decide or someone else will
Just like love, heroes are always chosen!
If you didn’t choose your heroes then someone else did for you. Take Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for an example. He was chosen to be a hero by the Communist party and whether or not he deserved it he became the hero for millions of people and even today is still honored by millions!
You must choose your heroes and you must choose wisely.
The danger of not choosing
There’s a danger if you don’t consciously determine your own heroes. The danger is that society will choose them for you. We live in a society that honors the bad boys and loves the naughty girls. Our society looks up to the rebel and praises the rule breaker.
A wise man once warned about these kind of heroes:
Be not envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them, for their hearts devise violence, and their lips talk of trouble. (Pro 24:1-2)
A question of the heart
If the author of this proverb had simply said, “don’t spend time with them” that would have been easy! After all most of our heroes are movies stars and famous singers with whom we never really spend time.
However, the warning here is to not envy them or desire to be with them! This takes us out of the realm of rules and puts us into the realm of the heart.
This command indicates that we can and must choose our heroes and control our desires.
Kari Scare
October 26, 2013My “heroes” seem to be bits & pieces of people, qualities & traits or even achievements I want to emulate. In a single person, I would have to name my husband. My faith walk, though, is letting Jesus take the role of complete hero in my life, letting Him truly be everything. It’s a process to deliberately choose your own hero, don’t you think?
Caleb
October 26, 2013I like the idea of having everyday heroes, people that you know, people you can talk to and get advice from. That’s important. Yes, Jesus is the ultimate hero!
About the process, it seems to me that over time our heroes may change in a good way. We go through different stages in life and while one hero may provide a great example for one stage as we move on we may also find another hero who provides a great example in another area of life.
Betty Draper
November 8, 2013I’m with Kari, I would say my husband who is a Godly man, not perfect and who would know better then me on this earth. He is a Psalm 1 man.
floyd
October 26, 2013My heroes are the people that live this life, endure the pain that goes along with it, and do it with grace and honor based on Biblical principles that make up the lives of truly great people through the power of He whom they serve.
Caleb
October 26, 2013I think you hit on something there. A hero has to be someone who has experienced pain/hardship in their life and come out on the other side stronger. Unfortunately most of our cultures heroes are pop-stars whose greatest hardship is choosing an outfit for their awards ceremony!
Caleb
October 26, 2013That’s so true ben, heroes can easily become idols. It’s important to choose good heroes and important to remember that they are just heroes and should never take the place of God.
Dave Arnold
October 27, 2013Good thoughts Caleb. I think of all the kids out there watching their heroes (sports stars & rock stars), & how they imitate them. We live in a celebrity-crazed society. But, as Ps. 112, the righteous man will be remembered forever.
Caleb
October 27, 2013That’s one thing I think about when it comes to my kids. It seems to me that as a father I also have a responsibility to help my children choose their heroes.
Dave Arnold
October 27, 2013I hear you!
Ridgely Hoyt-Whitaker
October 28, 2013Funny you should ask, here’s one of my heroes that I wrote about a few years ago: http://ridgelyhoyt.blogspot.com/2011/11/one-of-my-heroes.html
Caleb
October 28, 2013What a great life and story. It sounds like Tim was a pretty amazing guy! Those are great heroes to have.
TCAvey
October 29, 2013Integrity is how I tend to pick my hero’s…so that means very little of Hollywood gets in that category. I want to look up to someone who is willing to do the hard thing, the right thing, even when it’s not popular.
No one is perfect, but I admire those who pursue Godly character and are willing to admit faults and mistakes.
My ultimate hero is God 🙂
Caleb
October 30, 2013I love it TC! Integrity is not easy to come by these days, especially if you are looking to Hollywood.
TCAvey
October 30, 2013I think integrity and Hollywood might be an oxymoron 🙂
Greg Simas
October 30, 2013Hi Caleb. Hero’s have my values but have taken them up to higher levels then me. I look up to those who have greater breakthrough in area’s I am pursuing.
Caleb
October 30, 2013That’s a great idea Greg. I think I tend to look to people who have gone through hardships and have come out on the other side stronger in their faith.
Greg Simas
October 30, 2013For sure. 🙂
Dan Erickson
October 30, 2013Jesus, Woody Guthrie, Edward R. Murrow, Mark Twain, and my dad to name a few.
Caleb
October 30, 2013I love that you include you dad. It’s so important to have heroes that we know personally and have seen in everyday life.
Loren Pinilis
November 6, 2013I love reading biographies of great Christians from the past. They inspire me so much! It’s so easy to get used to the world and to think that you’re a pretty decent Christian – until you see the faith of some of the giants from the past. It resets your perspective.
Caleb
November 6, 2013That’s so true Loren! What’s a favorite biography you’ve recently read?