Welcome to the continuing series on what ended the little slump I felt I was in the last couple of months. Be sure to check out part one.
I (like many of you I assume) have a couple of heroes in my faith. These are people who I look up to, people who when I seem them going about not just their jobs (most of them are preachers or musicians) but also the way they live their lives I see the love and joy of the risen Christ. These are the types of people whom I emulate.
I've thought a lot about this, because there are some critics out there who would claim that such behavior is in fact hero worship, or even idolatry. I will confess that I need to be very careful about that, to make sure that I'm not looking up to people more than they deserve. But the truth is (when we're honest anyway) that living like Christ is a difficult thing. To be in tune with the redemptive discipleship we are called to is not an easy task. So when we see it exemplified in other people, isn't it natural to want what they want? Isn't it natural to follow in their footsteps knowing that ultimately they're leading you to His?
The other side of my heroes of the faith is that often times they're thinking what I'm thinking, but they're significantly better at articulating it than I am. Sometimes that little bit of clarity is all I need to get a better grip on where things are going in my walk with Christ. It's like they clear the fog away and allow me to more easily find a path.
Again, you have to be incredibly careful not to fall into idolatry here. If you worship the hero rather than allowing the hero to lead you to Christ, then you are in some pretty dangerous waters. You also want to be extremely careful not to lose your voice. I've been burned before when people found out that I was directly quoting David Crowder or Rob Bell in something I was doing. What they're doing works in their churches, and while they might work in yours with a little tweaking, you don't at all want to steal outright. Plus you might get sued.
Who are your heroes of the faith? Who are the people that you can look up to and read a book or watch a DVD or listen to a sermon and find inspiration? If you find yourself in a slump, take a couple of minutes to yourself and spend some time with your hero. You get bonus points if it's someone you're in contact with and you take them out to lunch.
Godspeed,
Jason
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