Heroes

(Hebrews 11:1 KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

Hebrews 11 has always been inspiring to me because it is a lesson on faith. Those who are mentioned in this chapter are not mentioned because of their righteousness. They are mentioned because of their faith. While meditating on this chapter I soon realized that these folks were no different than any of us today. The only thing that made them unique was their level of obedience to God, which in turn made them spiritual heroes.

Over the years I have noticed that people interpret the word “hero” in different ways. Some refer to movie stars, singers and even athletes as their heroes, even though the dictionary says that a hero is “One who is admired for brave deeds and noble qualities.”

With the dictionary’s definition I began to think about those who have been heroes in my life. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that most of my heroes were common ordinary folks. In other words, these were folks who would not necessarily be recorded in history for their heroic deeds or their scientific achievement, but for their influence in my life.

Over the years I have written many stories about the heroes in my life without  calling them my heroes. The thing that actually made them heroes to me is the fact that God used each one of them to help sculpt my life and establish my values. Whatever I am today is, in part, the result of the heroes the Lord has put in my life.

An ordinary little lady from East Texas taught me how to hear the voice of the Lord and obey Him without question. A black man and his wife who live in a small wood frame house near Houston taught me how to dream dreams and see visions. My first pastor taught me how to pray by meeting with me at the altar in his small holiness church for a couple of hours each Saturday night. I learned to live by faith from an old country preacher who had nothing and yet God would supernaturally keep his pantry filled with food for his wife and children and no one could explain how.

I learned from Kenneth Hagan Sr. to expect the abundance by obeying God and believing that was His desire for my life. I learned to take the lower road and fly under the radar and allow the insecure to claim the credit for accomplishments from repeatedly reading  Reese Howell’s book on intercession. I learned to be a quick responder from a little lady who was praying for God to use her one day and He gave her a house number. The Lord told her to go to that house and a young man would come to the door and she was to tell him how much God loved him. She did not hesitate, but immediately found the house and I was the young man who came to the door.

The list of my heroes could go on and on, but they all seem to have one thing in common. They have all had a positive effect on my life and that effect will live on through others that I have influenced.

The point I hope to make is that we must live a life of encouraging others and purposefully be a hero to someone each day. As a result of that, our efforts (or heroic deeds) will live on.

Father,

Our desire is to also be listed among the faithful as those listed in Hebrews 11 were. We want to be known for our faith and obedience to Your will as we learn to walk a righteous life (thinking, speaking, doing and living in a holy manner). If we are to be a hero to others let it be as a result of our faith.

Amen