From week to week the high school students I teach talk about news and events related to people they know or celebrities they look up to. Last week several planned to watch the boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. Each student had a favored fighter and held them in esteem for the millions of dollars the boxers would make from the event. Other students admire musicians for their fame and success. Recurring themes with the role model choices my students make are wealth, power, talent, or fame. Who do you look up to?
Often Overlooked
It’s understandable to admire people who have what you aspire for. However, I challenge you to look further than external signs of success. The heroes around you aren’t necessarily those who drive expensive cars, who live in luxurious homes, who are married to beautiful spouses, or who have a large following. True heroes have virtuous character. They stand tall by bending down to serve others. They sacrifice to love and to make the lives of others better like the military veterans we just celebrated on Veterans Day in the United States. However, many times everyday heroes never get noticed. Sometimes they aren’t even thanked.
Trust and Follow Jesus
I encourage you to find people who have attributes worth imitating. Identify what you admire in them and then work toward growing in that area. Surround yourself with people who build you up and not tear you down. The ultimate example of someone who loves you and has given everything to make your life better, is Jesus. Model your life after him. He lived the life that you should live and died the death that you deserve. He then rose from the grave. Anyone who trusts him can be saved from their wrongdoing and experience abundant, victorious life with God now and forever. Confess any sin to him and receive his forgiveness. Ask him how to live rightly and how to put others before yourself. Learn what Jesus said and did from the Bible. The book of John is a great place to start. The Bible shows how Jesus truly is the greatest hero. As you rely on him he will give you the wisdom, the ability, and the strength to live the life of a hero that he designed you for. Over time he will transform you to become more like himself. Nothing in this world or in other people compares to knowing, loving, and following Jesus.
Note: I wrote a song about true heroes which you might enjoy. It is titled, “Bended Knee.”