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- Apr 25, 2006
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Choosing your heroes?
'I'M...ONLY A MAN, NO DIFFERENT FROM YOU.' ACTS 10:26
Role models inspire and motivate us, especially when they've been through similar things in life that we have. It's good to respect and appreciate them but the moment you set your role model up on a pedestal you're asking for trouble. Watch out that your inspiration doesn't become your obsession.
Make sure that you keep your God-given uniqueness and don't become a carbon copy of somebody else. Remember, our heroes wrestle with character issues too. The Apostle Paul knew his limits and described himself as 'not...good enough to be called an apostle,... then added, 'God's grace has made me what I am' (1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NCV).
The Apostle Peter even had to deal with people bowing down to him, 'The minute Peter came through the door, Cornelius was...down on his face worshiping him! Peter pulled him up and said, 'None of that - I'm...only a man, no different from you...' Unfortunately some of the people we look up to aren't that humble!
The danger in hero-worship is losing your individuality and missing the path God mapped out for you. Some of the lessons God teaches us may be similar but ultimately another person's purpose will be completely different from yours. For example, the cool guy in school takes Art so you do too. The problem is he can draw and you can't!
There's a strange verse in the Bible that says 'God is...a jealous God' (Deuteronomy 4:24 NKJ) but it doesn't mean He's fussy or stroppy, it means He wants to protect us from anything that robs us of our uniqueness or threatens our relationship with Him. So make Jesus your role model and hero and then you'?re on safe ground!
written by Bob Gass
'I'M...ONLY A MAN, NO DIFFERENT FROM YOU.' ACTS 10:26
Role models inspire and motivate us, especially when they've been through similar things in life that we have. It's good to respect and appreciate them but the moment you set your role model up on a pedestal you're asking for trouble. Watch out that your inspiration doesn't become your obsession.
Make sure that you keep your God-given uniqueness and don't become a carbon copy of somebody else. Remember, our heroes wrestle with character issues too. The Apostle Paul knew his limits and described himself as 'not...good enough to be called an apostle,... then added, 'God's grace has made me what I am' (1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NCV).
The Apostle Peter even had to deal with people bowing down to him, 'The minute Peter came through the door, Cornelius was...down on his face worshiping him! Peter pulled him up and said, 'None of that - I'm...only a man, no different from you...' Unfortunately some of the people we look up to aren't that humble!
The danger in hero-worship is losing your individuality and missing the path God mapped out for you. Some of the lessons God teaches us may be similar but ultimately another person's purpose will be completely different from yours. For example, the cool guy in school takes Art so you do too. The problem is he can draw and you can't!
There's a strange verse in the Bible that says 'God is...a jealous God' (Deuteronomy 4:24 NKJ) but it doesn't mean He's fussy or stroppy, it means He wants to protect us from anything that robs us of our uniqueness or threatens our relationship with Him. So make Jesus your role model and hero and then you'?re on safe ground!
written by Bob Gass
