News Flash! We live in a vastly different world than we used to. Commiserate with me for a moment as I languish in my “good ol’ days” and” bygone days”. Old-timers would say “Joey, you’re still wet behind the ears!”, and I suppose in comparison I am. Despite their protests, I’ve seen a lot in my nearly 55 years; including the demise of many of the heroes the “Old-timers” had, which were my heroes as well! I think this was the classic era of heroes.
By-in-large, the heroes of the Old-timers were people of character, bravery, integrity, and an undying desire to “do the right thing”. Their mindset could be summed up in the cry of Superman, “Truth, Justice, and the American way!” They were heroes that parents wanted their children to look up to, mimic, and even pattern their lives after. They were movie stars, soldiers, musicians, teachers, Firemen, Astronauts, and so forth…
But…we have allowed those heroes to vanish. They’ve vanished into the annuls of history, much like the hero cowboy of an old Western movie that rides off into the sunset at the conclusion, followed by a “The End” written in the PT Barnum font, as majestic “Magnificent Seven” type outro music escorts the hero away.
With the exit of the classic era heroes, who do young people look up to? Who do they look to as their heroes?!? Unfortunately, many who are viewed as heroes today are on the bottom rung of the ethical and moral ladder. Our society has permitted those who once were recognized as unhealthy and even immoral to be the people we aspire to become. That is sad, unfortunate, and even dangerous.
I write primarily to Christians. A Christian is someone who has trusted in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus; someone who has been made alive spiritually by Jesus. When Jesus breathes life into you, He gives you a new nature; you desire differently, think differently, and act differently. A new nature seeks godly people to look up to and mimic. We need that! We need godly people to mimic, imitate, and pattern our lives after. The apostle Paul, inspired by the Holy Spirit, understood this, and said it several times, including the following:
1 Cor. 11:1: “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”
Phil. 3:17: “Brothers, join in imitating me. . . .”
Phil 4:9: “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
In these verses, along with several others in the Bible, Paul instructs believers to watch him, and imitate what he does. Paul could confidently instruct us to imitate him because he was following Jesus, in the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, he was pointing people to Jesus and he wanted others to do the same, so he shows them how!
This is what we should be mimicking! The apostle Paul was a warrior of the faith; a marvelous theologian, a passionate evangelist, and a compassionate minister. In every practical sense Paul was a hero of the faith. He is the type of hero we need! Paul, who’s life was surrendered to the Lord Jesus, modeled what our lives should look like, therefore, we should imitate him.
There are people you know, men and women who, much like Paul, genuinely and passionately love Jesus. They serve him faithfully, share him fervently, and enjoy him fully. These people may not be Hollywood famous or Wall Street wealthy, but they are heroes!
Watch them, spend time with them, follow them, mimic them, and pass down their legacy of loving Jesus!
These people may be a Janitor in a school or church; a teacher, a musician, a Doctor or Nurse, a Truck Driver, etc.…. They are around you; near you, and accessible to you. Take advantage of God’s gracious provision and imitate them. Make them your earthly heroes!! Do not invest your energy on creating earthly heroes that carry no eternal value, regardless of their fame or wealth. Find those Paul-like people who make much of Jesus and let them become your earthly heroes… it will pay eternal dividends!
“All heroes are shadows of Christ”
John Piper
Treasuring Christ 