A Hero in God’s Eyes

A person who is admired

If a hero is a ‘person who is admired’, that probably means someone at least has to know their name, right?

In the world of fantasy, a hero is often unrecognized and even unacknowledged. Clark Kent saves people every day, but no one knows he is Superman. In the Bible, it is often the selfless actions and undying willingness to follow God to the very end that makes characters admirable.

So what do we need to do for God to admire us? The most important thing is to follow God to the very end. In some parts of the world following God may mean battling against fear of death and persecution. In our own country, it often means against expectations of society, following God even if it isn’t popular opinion. In everything we need to ‘Die to ourselves’, Galatians 2:20, and put God first. And that takes courage.

Courage

Did you know that the phrase ‘Be strong and courageous’ occurs at least ten times in the Bible? A lot of the time, God uses it as a command to his people. The Bible even goes as far to say ‘Be strong and very courageous’, Joshua 1:7.

How can you have courage in your daily life? Maybe it means taking that leap of faith in a difficult time. Maybe it means following the call of God in your heart to witness to that person on the train. It could even mean giving up everything you hold dear to serve the poorest nations of this world. No matter what situation you find yourself in, it is important to remember that God ‘will never leave you nor forsake you’, Deuteronomy 31:6. So when you don’t have any courage, God is always there by your side.

Outstanding achievements

We often measure our success by our achievements. We consider ourselves successful if we’ve accomplished goals and made our dreams come true. However, the real purpose of the divine journey to mirror the true image of God. And this can be explored further in Falling Upward.

All God has ever wanted was for us to be one with him. He created us in his likeness didn’t he? Now after centuries of being apart God is desperate for us to be reunited in eternity.

So how can you become the image of God? This will be your never ending task for life. We all have fallen short of the glory of God, but with God’s loving kindness and forgiveness, we can all get back on the straight and narrow. Once you have become born again and ‘died’ to your old self, this first thing you need to do is get to know who God is for yourself. Take some time to read through the Bible, discovering what the words say about who God actually is. Once you know him properly, you can apply those characteristics to your own life. None of us are perfect and God never expects more from us than we can actually do. It is our faithfulness to him that counts.

So know you know what a hero is, I’d like to end with words of Jesus, who is and always will be our ultimate hero:

‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?’ Matthew 16:24-26

And that makes a true hero.