Why You Want To Be A Hero?

Have you ever thought of being a hero? You may already be someone’s hero without even knowing it. You shouldn’t try to become a hero. You either are or you aren’t.

According to the Oxford Dictionary a hero is described as a “person respected for bravery or noble qualities.”

What Does Your Life Say About You?

Your life tells a story. Your integrity, your character, the way you carry yourself, the way you treat other people; these are things that can make a hero out of you. Being passive, is what won’t make a hero out of you.

But you don’t like walking around telling other people what to do. You don’t care about this ‘hero idea’. You just want to mind your own business and do your own thing. Sure, you’re a Christian, everybody knows that. You don’t use foul language, you don’t drink, you don’t smoke….I mean; it’s obvious, right? Wrong.

Just because you go to church every Sunday and you behave nicely at work or at school, doesn’t mean people know you’re a Christian.

Oh…..and by the way, you don’t have to start telling other people what to do.

This also doesn’t mean we should start judging people by appearance or first impressions either. Outward appearances or habits can be misleading if you don’t know the person very well. Let’s focus on who we are for now.

I would like to share some examples in this article to show what your life is saying (or not saying) about you and the impact it has on other people.

Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover.

The first example (three actually) that I want to use has nothing to do with being a Christian or not. These are just examples from the secular world to illustrate a point (although it’s based on real life personalities).

I recently received this from a friend:

“Can you judge who the better person out of these three is?

1. Mr. A: He had friendship with bad politicians, consulted with astrologers, had two wives, and drank eight to ten times a day.
2. Mr. B: He was kicked out of office twice; he slept until noon, used opium in college and drank whiskey every evening.
3. Mr. C: He was a decorated war hero, a vegetarian, didn’t smoke and didn’t drink.

You would probably say Mr. C, right?

But…Mr. A was Franklin Roosevelt (32^nd President of the USA). Mr. B was Winston Churchill (former British Prime Minister), and Mr. C was Adolf Hitler.

It is strange but true. It’s risky to judge anyone by his habits. Character is a complex phenomenon. So every person in your life is important. Don’t judge them, accept them.

Three beautiful thoughts:

1. None can destroy iron, but its own rust can. Likewise, none can destroy a person, but his own mindset can.
2. Ups and downs in life are very important to keep us going, because a straight line even in an E.C.G. means we are not alive.
3. The same boiling water that hardens the egg will soften the potato.

It all depends on the individual’s reaction to stressful circumstances.

Enjoy the journey called life.”

“I never knew you’re a Christian…”

What does your life say about you? You might feel cozy and quite comfortable where you are. You don’t mix with ‘the wrong crowd’. You’re well-behaved; you don’t go to wild parties and you certainly are no money chaser. You live a quiet lifestyle and you are content with what you’ve got. Just as long as you have enough for you and your family, you are satisfied. I mean….the Bible says we should be content, right? “It surely is obvious for everybody to see that I’m a Christian”, you say.

No, it’s not. Christianity is not about being passive. It is not just about being comfortable in your own space.

James 2:14-17 (NIV) says “¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? ¹⁵ Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. ¹⁶ If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

As Christians we need to reach out to other people. Faith without works is dead. This doesn’t mean that everybody needs to become a preacher or that you need to start ‘Bible bashing’ people. But when last did you reach out to someone in need? When last did you contact your church to hear whether there is somebody who could benefit from your donation of $10 or $20? The recipient doesn’t even have to know who it came from.

Recommended reading: “Hey, I didn’t know you were a Christian”.

Are you someone’s Hero?

You don’t have to jump through loops and walk through fire to be someone’s hero. Many people often find it hard to believe that they can actually be somebody’s hero. Yet it’s not so far-fetched at all.

When thinking about being a hero, we automatically start thinking about being popular. We think about doing something spectacular, or being a sports hero. We think about being a hero to some stranger that we don’t even know, but who admires us.

Yes, celebrities and sports stars might be heroes and role models to many people. But it is not always the case and it is not always a good thing. Often such a person can also be a bad role model, setting a bad example to the youth.

So where does this leave you? Who would think of you as a hero?

What about the people closest to you? The people right under your nose, your immediate family, your spouse, your kids? Being a true hero, starts in your own home. How do you treat your spouse? How do you treat your children? What example do you set for your children? Do your children and your spouse see you as a person of integrity? Do you show your love for them? Do they see you caring for other people?

Our children are looking at every move we make. The first hero in any boy’s life is normally his dad. For a girl it’s her mom. As they grow up to become teenagers, we might think they don’t pay any attention to what we say or do. If that is what you think, you are wrong.

Children are looking for role models. They are looking for heroes who they can follow, who they can mimic. And the first place they start looking, is in their own home. They start by watching their parents.

Maybe your children are desperately looking for a hero. I challenge you to be that hero. It might even be someone outside of your household. You’ll never know who’s watching you, but I almost want to guarantee you, there is always someone watching you.

We Can All Be Heroes.

We can all be heroes. We all have to deal with people. In our household, at the office, while shopping, while travelling, whether directly or indirectly, we deal with people on a daily basis.

Our responsibility starts at home. Every parent has his child’s best interest at heart. We have great dreams for our children. How can we motivate them to make the best of their lives? How can we encourage them to develop good characters? Lead by example. If you lead by example, your child will not only respect you, you’ll be his / her hero.

It doesn’t mean a child has to follow the same career path as the parent or become a duplicate of his / her parents. But they will see your perseverance. They will see how you treat other people with respect. They will develop strong characters with integrity by following your example.

Don’t you have children yet? Rest assured; there are many children who are not so privileged to receive good guidance at home. There are many children that don’t even have the privilege of living with their parents. You never know when your path can cross with that of one these children. They might already be watching you without you even knowing it.

Over to You.

Who is your hero? Who had an impact on your life and in what way? Are you setting that same example today?

Share with us what impact your hero had (or still has) on your life.