Be Somebody's Hero

“Be Somebody’s Hero”

I personally believe that each of us needs someone we can look up to and admire.

Someone we can pattern our life after and learn from.

Mannie Jackson, the owner of the Harlem Globetrotters basketball team agrees.

He says:

“I think we all have the capacity for commitment and a need to believe in something or somebody.”

Young basketball players lace up their shoes in the hopes that one-day they might play like Michael Jordon.

Little children naturally look up to their fathers and think that they walk on water.

What kind of leaders should we look up to?

There are all kinds of leaders aren’t there?

There are Political Leaders. There are Religious leaders. There are business leaders. There are leaders in the music industry. There are leaders in the art world in the world of literature.

There are leaders in the fields of guidance and counseling.

Let me ask you:

Who do you personally look up to?

Who do you admire?

I’ve discovered that many people in our world typically look up to someone for 3 different reasons.

People often choose to look up to somebody because either…

A. They Look Good.

Celebrities who are handsome or pretty, or fashionable.

Or they look up to them because…

B. They Are Good At Something.

Maybe they are a talented athlete or a gifted musician.

Many people look up to them because they are good at what they do.

Or they look up to them because…

C. They Do Good.

Many people looked up to Mother Theresa because of the good she did for humanity.

Over and over again the Bible tells us what kind of leaders we should look up to.

Paul tells us in I Thessalonians 5:13:

“And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake.”

Paul says you should look up to your Christian leaders.

The writer of Hebrews say in Hebrews 13:7:

“Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct.”

God tells us over and over that we are to look up to Godly leaders, men and women who express the nature and character of God in their lives.

Now, you probably have someone that fits that requirement for you.

I’m sure you have someone in mind as I’m speaking; someone that you truly admire and look up to.

Now, let’s flip this over and look at the other side of it.

Just as you have someone that you look up to did you know that there are those who look up to you?

That’s right, you!

There is someone out there who calls you his or her hero.

They want to be like you. They want to talk like you. They want to walk like you. They want to do what you do.

Now, at this point some of you may be tempted to say, “But Pastor I am not a leader. Nobody looks up to me.”

I’ve noticed that there are 3 attitudes that each of us typically adopt when it comes to this issue of being someone others look up to.

The first attitude is…

1. The Naïve Attitude: Nobody Looks Up To Me.

Some people say, “Awh, Pastor, nobody looks up to me. I’m nobody’s hero.”

Let me ask you something.

Do you really believe that?

Do you really believe that NO ONE, not one person, looks up to you or admires you?

I believe its naïve to say that nobody looks up to us.

In fact, psychologists tell us that even the most shy introverted person will likely influence 10,000 people during their lifetime.

Then there’s

1. The Prideful Attitude: Everybody Looks Up To Me.

Have you ever met this kind of leader?

This is the kind of person who says in a conversation, “But enough about me, let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?”

I think this is a bit inflated and not very realistic.

Not everyone is going to like us much less look up to us.

Then there’s the third attitude.

2. The Realistic Attitude: Somebody Looks Up To Me.

As a father I am becoming more and more aware of my influence upon my children.

I read this poem once and it has made such a deep impression on me that I want to share it with you.

It’s called

THE LITTLE CHAP WHO FOLLOWS ME

A careful man I want to be,

A little fellow follows me;

I do not dare to go astray

For fear he’ll go the self-same way.

I cannot escape his eyes.

Whate’er he sees me do he tries.