The Stuff of Heroes

This sunday we honored our heroes… those that have served and serve our country, those in the greatest generation, those who have been married 50 plus years (can you believe that we have 20 couples who have been married over 50 years? 8 couples over 60 years!) We talked about the legacy of our founders of Sugar Hill Church (my personal heroes). And the challenge to leave a legacy worth following! Here’s the devotional thought as a follow up!
More later this week!

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Read It:

As we celebrate this Memorial Day, we reflect on the stuff of heroes. We call to mind those men and women who have fought, and sacrificed and bled for the benefit of others. We call them heroes, but the truth is that many of them do not think of themselves as Heroes. They’re just men and women who are doing the right thing when it matters.

Inside of all of us is a hero awaiting an awakening. We all long to make a difference in the life of another. But being a hero is more than about just a moment in time. It’s also about all of the training and hard work leading up to that moment. It’s being caught doing the right thing at the right time because that’s already engrained in your character, because those things are already your habit. And one day, what’s been forged in the heart gets put out on display for others to see in an act of heroism.

That should be an encouragement and a challenge to all of us everyday, ordinary men and women, as we seek to serve both unto and like Jesus. We must remember that being a hero is about the day in and day out things. It’s about that recurrent, ongoing commitment to steadily invest. When we lay down our own agendas and ideas, when we give up our time, our energy and our money to invest in someone else, we are doing the things that the ultimate hero, Christ Himself, did. We are putting love out on display in laying down our lives for our friends. And we do it not for a hero’s welcome for ourselves, but in honor to the greatest Hero who ever walked this planet, Jesus Christ.

Pray It:

Jesus, on this Memorial Day, I want first to remember you, the world’s greatest Hero. You showed the ultimate love in laying down your life so that we could find ours. Show me what it means to love others the way you love. Help me to loosen my grip on my agenda, my time, and my desires, that they may used to show others your love.

Download it:

Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Apply it:

1) Think about some of the heroes in your own life, men and women who have invested in you. Take some time today to write them a note of thanks.
2) In light of that reflection, spend some time thinking about some steps you can take to begin recurrent, intentional investments in the life of someone else. Ask God if there is someone specific in your life in whom you could invest.