Ask my children who their heroes are and I fear they would speak of a cartoon superhero or sports figure.  My prayer is that answer would change one day as they grow spiritually and see the man their father is and learn of other missionaries and spiritual leaders who have impacted the world for Christ.  Our desire is to expose Matthew and Aaron to as many Jesus servants as we can, maybe some of them will be on their list. 

When I was young I had several Christian heroes.  Not being raised in a Christian home, I was hungry for role models.  I was a voracious reader so authors like Hudson Taylor, Henrietta Mears, David Wilkinson, Corrie ten Boom, Dawson Trotman and Billy Graham became my heroes.  God used these men and women in my life to help shape who I am today.  Who would have dreamed that one day I would work for the organization Dawson Trotman started or move to the NYC where David Wilkinson lives and mentor one of his staff at Times Square Church? 

What happens if a pastoral hero falls morally such as Gary Lamb admitted to at Revolution church last Sunday?  That happened to me as a young believer when I was a teen.  This can be painful and confusing.  After going through this experience 3 times I began to question what traits put someone on my hero list.  The result was that I narrowed the qualifications.  The focus became more who they were in the heart vs. what they did.  The inside vs. the outside.  Character vs. charisma.  Were they just starting out in ministry, in the middle or had they rounded 3rd base and close to the finish line?

People on my hero list today may be for different things.  My husband, for his humility,  integrity and his willingness to forsake all for Christ.  Billy Graham for evangelism.  Frank Barker for holiness and prayer.  John Maxwell for leadership.  Dan Reiland for wisdom, heart for pastors and the local church.  Anne Graham Lotz for teaching Jesus.  Missionaries who are serving in the middle of nowhere and pastors who are serving average size churches who are living a holy life and faithful to Jesus, their family and the church, you too, are numbered among my heroes. 

As I live more years I see heroes can fall.  Any of us can whenever we take our eyes off Jesus.  For you readers today I pray I Corinthians 9:24-27.  Please pray this for me too, so that “lest possibly, after I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified”

Would love to hear who your heroes are.