What is the measure of a real hero?

10 Feb What is the measure of a real hero?

Read 1 Samuel 17:25-47

Thought for the Day: Humility makes all the difference.

The concept of ‘hero’ tends to be pretty loosely defined. As we meet various heroes encountered through both literature and history, we find ourselves wondering what a hero really is. What does it mean to be truly heroic? Consider a few famous heroes:

The hero Odysseus from Homer’s The Illiad and The Odyssey came from a noble background. He demonstrated unbelievable courage and faced difficult trials. But is it really right to call Odysseus, a prideful warrior whose vanity resulted in the deaths of all of his men, a hero? Captain James T. Kirk of the original Star Trek certainly had plenty of heroic moments. He was always honest and loyal to his crew. But, he was also arrogant and could be quite abrasive. Most of the time, it was actually Spock who stepped up and saved the day. As the #2 on the Starship Enterprise, Spock often cleaned up the messes that Kirk made. Mary Poppins dropped into London by way of her magic umbrella. She arrived to help a family in crisis. Of course, she succeeded. In the end, she brought the children and their father, Mr. Banks, together. But, who can relate to a magical nanny who is “practically perfect in every way”?

What does it mean to be heroic? We would all agree that heroes must be courageous, honest, and loyal. But without humility, heroes quickly become vain, abrasive, and difficult to relate to. Preparing to face the terrifying giant named Goliath, David stayed humble. He remembered that he was there to serve God as well as King Saul: “Let no man’s heart fail because of [Goliath]. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

We all face times when we need to be strong and take a stand. Whenever we face these situations, it is important for us to stay humble. Without humility, we will fail. What does it mean to be truly heroic? Biblical heroes understand that we are here to serve God and our neighbors. When we have successes, let’s always give credit to God. When things go wrong, let’s take responsibility and learn from our experiences. Humility makes all the difference!

In Christ,

Pastors Stan and David