We all go through a period as kids when we want to be a superhero or some sort of heroic fictional character. I used to want to be James Bond — sometimes I still do.
Even as adults, we sometimes aspire to be heroic in some way. But what would you think if I told you that the truly heroic act is to live your normal, run-of-the-mill life for Christ?
I’ve read enough Christian motivational books — generally aimed at Christian men — that try to motivate us to imagine ourselves as heroes. I’m not alone.
“I've had my fill reading books and listening to Christian leaders talk about taking the mountain and fighting the dragon,” writes BetterMan’s Chris Harper in an email. “Many of us have run after proverbial mountains and dragons for so long that we've forgotten it is the steps of man that God establishes.”
We’re not necessarily called to fulfill these overdramatic expectations. God doesn’t call all of us to live lives like the great heroes and martyrs of the faith.
“We've been chasing dragons all the while missing the dragons right in front of us,” Harper continues.
The lives God calls us to lead are most often just normal, everyday lives — taking care of our families, working our jobs, interacting with friends, and serving Him. The Apostle Paul reminded the Thessalonian church of that fact.
“But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one” (1 Thessalonians 4:10b-12, ESV).
Living a life like that isn’t always exciting, but it involves following the Lord’s lead. And His Word promises us that He will lead us in exactly how He wants us to live.
King David writes in Psalm 37: “The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.”
“Notice it is the steps of man that God establishes, not the leaps and bounds,” Harper writes, referencing these verses. “Steps. One foot in front of the other. It takes courage to live a quiet life. It takes conviction and boldness — one must be fearless to live life one step at a time.”
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Paul reminded the church in Colosse that our daily lives are acts of worship to God.
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ,” he wrote in Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV).
Living our lives is following Jesus’ command: “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me,” (Matthew 16:24, ESV). It’s a daily decision to submit our lives to God — and making that choice doesn’t guarantee anything exciting or dramatic.
Harper reminds us that following God’s lead might involve the thankless jobs:
The difficult marriage that needs repair.
The workplace that desperately needs the light of Christ.
The young man in search of a mentor.
The children who need a Sunday School teacher.
The friendship that’s cooled and grown distant.
The local food bank looking for volunteers.
The grieving widow who’s desperately alone.
You do not need a big stage, 1,000,000 followers, or a lot of influence to make a difference. All you need is the courage to be faithful and take the next step.
May we have the courage and the faith to entrust every day of our lives to God.
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