Tuesday, October 23, 2007

True Heroes



True Heroes, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.
This past Sunday, we interrupted our series at h2o to talk about something a little different. The title of the message was True Heroes: Extraordinarily Ordinary.

Recently I've been watching the TV series Heroes. If you've seen the show you know how amazingly addictive it is. The show features a number of ordinary people who discover that they have supernatural powers. Each one is unique, and part of the series is about these people learning how to use their unique gifts together for the cause of good.

Last week, a number of real heroes marched around in the woods. They prayed at their workplaces, and in their homes and churches. They made food for a number of search and rescue teams. They donated funds to help provide for the efforts of finding one little boy.

But at the same time, these were ordinary people. People like you and me. People who have bills to pay, and families to feed. People who have homework assignments due, and classes to attend. People who report to other vocations much of the time, but make themselves available when they are needed.

As people ventured into the woods to look for Jacob on different days in Dolly Sods very few were search and rescue experts. They were just regular people who were willing to step out in faith.

I think God has given each one of us a unique niche for influence. He has equipped each one of us differently and has great things he longs to do through us. The great things might not be what we expect, but rather, he is looking for folks who are available.

When folks were walking through those woods, it had very little to do with our expertise—it had to do with availability. When folks were praying for Jacob and his family, it had little to do with expertise—it had everything to do with availability. When we share our faith or listen to a hurting person, or feed a hungry person it has little to do with expertise—it has everything to do with availability. God wants to use each one of us for His kingdom purposes. But will you be used? Will you be available?

It’s so easy to get caught up in a daily grind of tv, internet, clothing, gossip, youtube, facebook, fashion, sports, food, reading, and playing that we drown out the voice of God, and busy ourselves with things that have very little eternal value. Maybe God needs us to tune out of the daily routine, to tune into what he is up to.

Every day you have an opportunity to make a choice, you have an opportunity to invest in something bigger than yourself. You have an opportunity to simply show up. Much of what we are able to do has to do with simply showing up and not checking out from where we are. Lot's of people make it their life goal to check out instead of show up.

Do you believe that God could use you? More importantly, do you believe that God wants to use an ordinary person like you? Every day you have an opportunity to make a choice, you have an opportunity to invest in something bigger than yourself. I think that when we make those investments, and we make ourselves available, we become Heroes in God's story, true heroes.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Reminds me of a movie where a financier solicits the help of an Indian tracker and a strong man to go off an adventure. Of course, the financier gets in some trouble, the strong man picks up the slack and the tracker treks through the woods for days on a spiritual journey. Fairly typical story.

Everyone plays their individual part and ultimately it has a happy ending.

The real story is not the adventure they set out on but the relationships between the characters. More Woody Allen than Schwarzenegger really, only much more funny.

I guess you had to see it.