We all want to be the hero. We want to be the Superman or Wonder Woman of our own saga. Almost instinctively, we picture ourselves as savvy as Sherlock Holmes, as triumphant as Ethan Hunt, and as noble as Obi Wan Kenobi. We look at history, identifying with the victors. We are King Arthur, George Washington, and Nelson Mandela. Nobody wants to be Robin. We are all Batman.

In conflict, we assume we are in the right. When we lose, we often feel persecuted. When things do not go our way, we find ourselves thinking that no one has suffered as we have–no one understands. We are the center of our own universe.

Dethroning God

Yet, thinking this way dethrones God in our minds and lives. If we are the center, then He is not. We become our own idols.

Demeaning Others

Furthermore, when we seek the pedestal, we must put down others. Everyone cannot be the main character. We cast friends as supporting cast. We relegate those who inconvenience us to the role of villains. Most people are expendable crewmen.

Detonating Conflict

However, when everyone is the hero of their own saga, the story lines inevitably collide. We cannot all be the greatest. Didn’t Jesus make this clear? The apostles argued for prominence. The mother of John and James sought for her sons to have prime positions. This attempt caused resentment among those closest to Christ (Matthew 20:21-24). We shake our heads at those foolish apostles, fighting about who would be the greatest on the day before the crucifixion (Luke 22:24). Then, we go ahead and think the same way ourselves. We splinter God’s people as we all seek to be number one (Proverbs 6:16-19).

Conclusion: Live Your Role, not God’s.

God is the hero of your story–not you. Creator God made you. Redeemer God saved you from sin, if you have believed on Jesus. Sovereign God rules over all. God is the hero. Don’t try to take His role.

Throughout Scripture, God is the main character, not the “heroes” of old.1 For example:

  • Noah: God is the hero, warning Noah, providing plans for an ark, and delivering his family from certain death.
  • Moses: God is the hero. When Moses tried to be the hero, he killed a guy and then fled for his life. God plucked Moses from the desert forty years later and empowered him to lead Israel out of Egypt and through the wilderness.
  • Daniel: God is the hero, placing the young man in a place of influence and protecting him as empires rose and fell during his lifetime. Daniel 3 does not even mention the prophet because he is not the main character in the book that bears his name–God is.
  • Jonah: God is the hero, showing mercy to the Assyrians and His own rebellious prophet.
  • Esther: Even though God is not mentioned in the book bearing Esther’s name, He is still the hero. Who raised this Jewish girl up to be queen “for such a time as this”? (Esther 4:14). God, not Esther or Mordecai, is once again the hero, even when He works behind the scenes.
  • Paul: God is once again the hero. Paul may have done more than anyone else in the first century to spread Christianity, but he testified, “by the grace of God, I am what I am” (1 Corinthians 15:10). Paul knew who the true Hero is.

Today, God is still the hero. Recognize Him as the center of your life (John 3:30). Root out the arrogance that puts yourself in His place. Find your role in God’s supporting cast, serving Him alongside other believers and glorifying Him above all–even yourself.

  1. Some see missionaries as heroes. While many are good examples, none were heroes. I make this case in the Daring Devotion series. ↩︎

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