What do you think about when you hear the word hero? Maybe you immediately begin to think about a cape. Maybe you think about a man or women flying through the air saving the day. For some of you, your hero may be a parent, or a grandparent. No matter what your definition of a hero, would you be surprised if I told you that the world is not in need of any hero.
I recently read a book regarding leading through health care change. In the book the author writes about healthcare being made of heroes who think there is great value in being able to come in and save the day. We have all been in the room with that one person who everyone turns to every time there is a problem. When something goes wrong we call Susie to fix it. Susie always has the answer. The problem with Susie is that she enjoys being called on for the fix, therefore she never equips her team to deal with the problem at hand.
Of course this got me thinking about our spiritual lives. I immediately began to ask God if that is what's happening to the Christian faith. We go to church on Sunday mornings and we are depending on our pastors to be the heroes. We call the pastor to pray for the sick, we call the pastor when someone needs to get picked up for church and we depend on the pastor to be the hero because we refuse to prepare ourselves to be the men and women God called us to be. (Believe me I love our pastors)
Of course that's not where my thinking stopped. I began to think of the times the doors of hope women have gone out to feed the homeless. We go, we feed, we pray and we leave. (Please know that I fully condone this, and I believe it is the duty of all men and women to call themselves children of God.) Once we come home we wait until the next time to go out and feed more people. Essentially we are practicing heroism.
The greatest example I can think of is the story in the bible that took place in the garden of Gethsemane. The men came to take Jesus Christ after he was betrayed by Judas. As they approached to apprehend Jesus, Peter reaches for his sword and cuts the mans ear off. Jesus immediately reaches down and heals the mans ear.
Jesus didn't need a hero! Right there Jesus was showing us that heroics wasn't his plan for unto salvation. Jesus spent the last several years being consistent in his love for the people. He got up early, walked to new lands, healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, and he did it all by being consistent with love.
So today I challenge you to think about your walk with God. Are you forcing ministry leaders to take the place of a hero because you refuse to do what God is calling you to do. Are you acting as a hero and feeling good about it because that's easier then consistently walking in love and every day seeking to love someone like Jesus did.
Can you imagine what our world would like look if every Christian man and women decided that they were going to wake up and be committed to bringing people to Christ through the unrelenting giving of love. CAN YOU IMAGINE?
I can! I think it would be a taste of what Jesus meant when he said, "greater things then these you will do."
Today I challenge you to be a consistent love giver and move away from trying to be a hero. Leave the capes for the men and women in the movies.
I will leave you with this thought.....
What would the world look like if all your prayers were answered? Would others be better off, or would you just be better off.
J
I recently read a book regarding leading through health care change. In the book the author writes about healthcare being made of heroes who think there is great value in being able to come in and save the day. We have all been in the room with that one person who everyone turns to every time there is a problem. When something goes wrong we call Susie to fix it. Susie always has the answer. The problem with Susie is that she enjoys being called on for the fix, therefore she never equips her team to deal with the problem at hand.
Of course this got me thinking about our spiritual lives. I immediately began to ask God if that is what's happening to the Christian faith. We go to church on Sunday mornings and we are depending on our pastors to be the heroes. We call the pastor to pray for the sick, we call the pastor when someone needs to get picked up for church and we depend on the pastor to be the hero because we refuse to prepare ourselves to be the men and women God called us to be. (Believe me I love our pastors)
Of course that's not where my thinking stopped. I began to think of the times the doors of hope women have gone out to feed the homeless. We go, we feed, we pray and we leave. (Please know that I fully condone this, and I believe it is the duty of all men and women to call themselves children of God.) Once we come home we wait until the next time to go out and feed more people. Essentially we are practicing heroism.
The greatest example I can think of is the story in the bible that took place in the garden of Gethsemane. The men came to take Jesus Christ after he was betrayed by Judas. As they approached to apprehend Jesus, Peter reaches for his sword and cuts the mans ear off. Jesus immediately reaches down and heals the mans ear.
Jesus didn't need a hero! Right there Jesus was showing us that heroics wasn't his plan for unto salvation. Jesus spent the last several years being consistent in his love for the people. He got up early, walked to new lands, healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, and he did it all by being consistent with love.
So today I challenge you to think about your walk with God. Are you forcing ministry leaders to take the place of a hero because you refuse to do what God is calling you to do. Are you acting as a hero and feeling good about it because that's easier then consistently walking in love and every day seeking to love someone like Jesus did.
Can you imagine what our world would like look if every Christian man and women decided that they were going to wake up and be committed to bringing people to Christ through the unrelenting giving of love. CAN YOU IMAGINE?
I can! I think it would be a taste of what Jesus meant when he said, "greater things then these you will do."
Today I challenge you to be a consistent love giver and move away from trying to be a hero. Leave the capes for the men and women in the movies.
I will leave you with this thought.....
What would the world look like if all your prayers were answered? Would others be better off, or would you just be better off.
J
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