Hero Makers, Pathway To Greatness Series

I said all this to say, this text really could have been talking about our Kingdom Builders, Pastor Leroy, and Pastor Audrey. The apostolic call on their lives is a kingdom call. These Kingdom Workers have sacrificed so much for the kingdom of God and the people of God. The countless miles they have traveled, the hours of counseling they have done and the many kinds of aid they have rendered are simply phenomenal. The trials they have endured, the sickness they have suffered, and the challenges they have overcome, are just as commendable. They too are given to hospitality, opening their home, their lives and their table to God’s people. Finally, their story is also one of risk and obedience. Their courageous acts on our behalf are meaningful to us, but costly for them. They are Godly examples that should be celebrated! Celebrate them, not because they are perfect, but because they are worthy, faithful, and loving. Who in your life do you sense God inviting you to offer hospitality to? How can your table and living room be sources of encouragement and support to weary travelers? Where in your life could you live more courageously? What do you hear the Spirit saying to you/your family/your church/your community?

The greatest among you is the one who is serving, the one who is putting others' interests above their own. The one who is laying down their life to help others, to care for others, to build up others.” “The one who is greatest among you,” Jesus says, “Shall be the one who is serving you.”

To me, greatness encompasses all areas of life and includes the types of thoughts we have, the words we use, the way we interact with others, the way we make others feel, the way we keep ourselves accountable, the discipline we demonstrate every week, the nature of our relationships with people, the strength of our connections, the sort of goals we have, our habits, our self-worth, the depth of our empathy and compassion, the energy we release, and the sort of people we strive to become. Jesus calls us to be servants of God, of His kingdom and of Others. How is He calling you to servanthood? How can you best serve those around you today?

These hero makers live their whole lives in the background, in the shadow of others and in supporting. They never took center stage, but they kept on serving. The song written by Bette Midler said it this way,

“It must have been cold there in my shadow, To never have sunlight on your face. You were content to let me shine, that's your way. You always walked a step behind. So I was the one with all the glory, While you were the one with all the strength. A beautiful face without a name for so long. A beautiful smile to hide the pain. Did you ever know that you're my hero, And everything I would like to be? I can fly higher than an eagle. For you are the wind beneath my wings! It might have appeared to go unnoticed, But I've got it all here in my heart. I want you to know I know the truth, of course I know it, I would be nothing without you. Did you ever know that you're my hero? You're everything I wish I could be, I could fly higher than an eagle, For you are the wind beneath my wings. I Fly so high I almost touch the sky, Thank you, thank you, Thank God for you, the wind beneath my wings.”

Hero makers are kingdom builders who lived sincerely, travel lightly, practice hospitality radically, and take risks for kingdom advancement. I choose to be a hero maker, how about you? AMEN