“To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, ESV

As I was growing up, I had become a HUGE fan of comic books and super heroes. I loved them all: Superman, X-Men, Justice League, Fantastic Four, Batman, Aquaman, Iron Man, and I could go on for a long time. I dreamed of having all the different powers and skills they had (and if I’m truly honest, I must also admit that there were several villains whose powers I wanted to have!). I wanted to have the ability of being a hero. Then I would be noticed, accepted, respected.

Everyone longs to be the hero of the story; not just any story, but someone else’s story. It is easy to be the hero of your own story; but to be the hero of someone else’s story is magical. To be the hero in someone else’s story gives our lives the blessing we long for: purpose. It means that we made a difference in someone else’s life for the better. I want that even today: I want my life to count as one that honors God. If I honor myself, I am a fool and my “hero” status is pure fiction. However, when I honor God and give Him the glory He deserves, and then we become true heroes. Let me explain…

In many cases of comic book heroes, their powers were given to them by means outside themselves: Superman got his powers from the yellow sun in our galaxy; Spiderman was bitten by a radio-active spider, Iron Man had to build his powers. In the case of the believer, we get our powers from God. I cannot claim to have power unless I admit that power came from God. My ability to write comes from God. My compassion and nature comes from God. When I preach, it is the moving of the Holy Spirit that draws people towards Jesus, not me. When I counsel people, it is He who gives me the insight and the words that brings healing and peace to those living in chaos. I am only a tool used by God.

That being said, one might think I am never able to become the hero of someone’s story. That is very wrong to think that. I am found worthy to become the hero because of Christ. In the movie Spiderman, there is a line that Peter Parker’s Uncle had told him, not knowing he was actually speaking to Spiderman; “With great power come great responsibility.” If this is true (which I fully believe), then whoever/whatever granted us that power must believe we have hero qualities which lie dormant or that the power they grant us will give us the courage we need to use them. Being able to fly, to run super-fast, to be as strong as a thousand strong men or to see through objects are all acts of fiction. However, helping other to fly from their horrid past and to soar into their future with changed outlooks, to help someone run to Christ for their strength, to leap over the obstacles which once caused them to stumble into sin, and most importantly, to help the one who never has known true unconditional love to feel that love for the first time, now that’s a true hero.

The key to making a hero a hero is selflessness. All the heroes I’ve known have all served others. When they were given praise and honor, they left before they received it. They didn’t do it to be praised; they saw a need and met it. They were willing to lose everything, their lives included, for complete strangers. They show us the good we are suppose to be doing on an everyday basis. All the villains of those stories were selfish; they disregarded rules and regulations, lives and feelings. Can you see the differences?

Is it possible for you to become a hero? YES! How? Become the husband/wife you are called to be. Rise up and be a parent first and not just a friend. Reach out as God places it on your heart to minister to others. Love and forgive all who ask WITHOUT stipulations! Bless someone without expecting something in return. To put it simply; love and serve as Jesus Christ would and has already reached out to you. When you do, you’ll see the world around you become a greater place to live because you have become its hero.

Father God,

 May I be allowed to become the hero that You have known I could become since the beginning of time. Allow me to be a part of making others learn and live up to their potential according to Your will. And may they, in turn, assist You in making more heroes for the world to believe in. In Jesus’ Name, Amen