The definition of a hero seems to change with every passing year. I remember growing up in South Africa and learning about Wolraad Woltemade and Racheltjie De Beer. They weren’t considered heroes because they were starring in the latest movie, won “The Voice” or had 10 million followers on Twitter. They didn’t even have their own reality show! They were heroes because they actually did something for someone else… and it cost them. In fact, it cost them their lives.
Today, we all want to be famous, as long as it doesn’t cost us our comfort. A true hero wants neither. There is no desire in a hero’s heart to become famous. There is no consideration for self in the life of a hero. Wolraad Woltemade was an average Joe who used his horse to save people. He saved sailors from drowning before he and his horse lost the fight against the raging waves in an attempt to save an eighth. Racheltjie was a young girls who sacrificed her life to save her brother’s, while lost in a snowstorm. They both chose a path that meant two things:
- putting the needs of others before their own
- the willingness to sacrifice their own comfort
The world needs more heroes. We all have the potential to be a hero. It’s right there – inside of you – waiting to be woken. The thing that’s keeping it dormant, is society telling us that we need to put ourselves first; the lie that our comfort is paramount; the lie that it’s about me being famous! Maximillion Kolbe was a real hero. He volunteered to be killed in the place of a fellow prisoner during the 2nd World War. His reason: “That man has a family waiting for him after the war – I am alone.” That is someone with a true “Jesus heart”.
We are so busy building our own little kingdoms, with us as our rulers, that we don’t even notice the world in need. Jesus recognised the need of the world by being the ultimate hero. There was no consideration for his own comfort even though He deserved all the comforts as “The One True King”. To Him, it was all about you and me. In spite of Him giving His everything for the world, the world mocks and ridicules Him. We fail to recognise a TRUE HERO, but choose our own heroes who fail to do anything for anyone if it means sacrificing our comfort. Our heroes have become sport stars, movie stars, singers and reality TV stars. Why? What are they doing that is really making a difference?
Here’s a challenge.
- Become the hero that you were born to be.
- Be willing to sacrifice your comfort to make a difference
- Do this without an ulterior motive of making a name for yourself
“Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself
Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else
Make a name the world remembers
But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams
I got lost in the lie that it was up to me
To make a name the world remembers
But Jesus is the only name to remember”
THE WORLD NEEDS YOU… HERO!
Have an amazing day.
Mark Davidson
