This week I was saddened to hear of a recently elected United States representative who confessed to lying about his background and experience in order to get elected. What made the news even worse is he did not seem sincerely sorry for misleading his constituents whom he would represent. He failed to truly take ownership of his shameful abuse of public trust. He called his lies, “embellishments” and he tried justifying his lack of integrity by pointing out other politicians who have done the same. However, lying is never an acceptable practice. What about you? Do you struggle with being sincere, open, honest, and trustworthy? If so, I encourage you to improve that. If not, perhaps there is a different character flaw you want to address or a virtue you want to develop. Tomorrow we usher in a new year. Consider changing or improving at least one aspect of your life in order to live this year better and be more beneficial to others. Here are a few tips on how to live like a hero.
Surround Yourself With People Who Take You Higher
We need people who we don’t just have fun with, but who sacrifice to make us better. Hug those people in your life. Look them in the eyes and tell them, “You are important to me. Thank you.” Out of those people, find someone who practices the skills and lives out the character you want in your life, then work with them. Observe how they act and what they say. Ask their advice. Glean from their experience. Then apply what you learn. If you currently don’t have any role models in your life, read some biographies of admirable people looking for an attribute you would like to develop.
In contrast to surrounding yourself with supporters, wisely limit your time with destructors. These self-centered, toxic people tear you down, crush your dreams, or hold you back from maturing. By God’s grace and power you should love these people, but be discerning in structuring your interactions so that you are a more constructive influence on them than they are a destructive influence on you.
Make Jesus Your Ultimate Hero
Don’t dismiss this note as just a pep talk for self improvement. I have found that I need more than to try harder. I need more than to imitate a role model. I cannot become the person I was designed to be without God’s help. Neither can you. No matter how good you become, you fall short of the superior life God has in store for you (Romans 3:9-31; Isaiah 53:6). God created you and loves you. He wants you to be with him, to be like him, and to do what he does. But you and I and everyone foolishly tend to reject him and his ways in favor of living life on our own terms. This gradually destroys us (Romans 6:23). The wonderful news of Christmas is that Jesus came to save us (Luke 2:1-40). Jesus is God the Son who became a man, lived the life we should live and died the death that we deserve. Then he rose again to enable anyone who trusts and obeys him to experience an abundant and victorious life with God now and forever. Wow! Jesus is the hero you need.
As fully God, Jesus is all knowing, ever present, all powerful, eternal, and unchanging. But Jesus was also fully man. He experienced the same things you do. He knew pain, rejection, persecution, mockery, betrayal, desertion, and loneliness. He became hungry and thirsty, weary, and frustrated. He wept. He was tempted just as you are, yet he never sinned. He consistently demonstrated righteousness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, mercy, and hope. He imparts all these beautiful attributes to anyone who believes in him. To those who trust and obey him he gives his Spirit to live in them. The Holy Spirit comforts, counsels, trains, and empowers believers to become like Jesus. Jesus is calling you with outstretched arms to believe in him, to follow him, to give your life to him, and to let him live in you. I pray you accept his call and make him your ultimate hero.
Be a Hero to Others for God’s Glory
This coming year if you want to change an aspect of your life, look to Jesus. Don’t rely on self-righteousness or striving. Don’t exalt yourself or justify yourself in comparison to others. Live by God’s standard and no one else’s. Confess any wrongdoing and receive Jesus’ forgiveness (1 John 1:9). Humbly rely on and fix your eyes on Jesus by faith (Hebrews 12:2). Trust and obey Jesus and he will do much more than help you improve one area of your life. He will transform you from the inside out by giving you his abundant life. Then he will work through you to save others (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). He will teach you to love God and to live in God’s love toward others. He will show you how to take his blessings and use them for the benefit of others. He will teach you to treat others the way you would want to be treated (Matthew 7:12). You will become a trustworthy leader with integrity. You will become a hero to others, not because you are great, but because Jesus in you is (Matthew 5:16). Then by your example, hopefully many others will come to know Jesus as their savior all to the glory of God.