What Makes A Hero?

Webster's defines it as a central figure in any important event or period, honored for outstanding qualities. For my boys it's Ironman and Spiderman. For young men maybe it is the latest sport star. Many think of our troops and first responders. I definitely have much respect for those who put the safety of others before themselves. With all that being said, what makes a hero?

In the Bible we can read about heroes of the faith in the book of Hebrews. Men and women of different status all pleased God for one reason, their faith. When I think of great faith I often think of Noah. An ordinary man with extraordinary faith. He had no special physical power. He was just like you and me except for the strength of his faith. Noah simply obeyed God and took him at his word. What if we used this criteria to select our heroes today? Would anyone measure up?

Someone with the faith of Noah or Abraham today would still be thought of as a lunatic. It helps prove the Bible is perfect and just as relevent today as it was thousands of years ago. We can learn so much from these heroes. Moses refused to enjoy sin for a season. He showed us the importance of having eternal vision.

It's sad that most great athletes are just naturally thought of as great family people. When the truth is many are horrible fathers and husbands. Just look at Tiger Woods. If you step back and look at it with a clear perspective it makes sense. Do you really think these athletes achieve such a high performance level by putting their families first? Of course not. Tim Tebow is clearly the exception.

We need to first realize anyone who is human is capable of sin and can let us down. Christ should be who we look up to most and try to pattern our lives after. Our kids don't need Ben Roethlisberger or Lebron James to look up to. They need Pastors and Sunday School Teachers. They need the mechanic next door who supports his family, leads his kids in devotionals, and helps spread the gospel. So what makes a hero? I guess it depends what measuring stick you are using, God's or that of the world.