Meet Your Heroes

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8, 9

There is a good chance that you have heard the adage, “never meet your heroes.” The idea behind the phrase is simple enough; meeting someone you look up to and discovering who they “really are” might shatter your previously untainted perception of him or her. An actor might not be as agreeable as they are on a screen. A well-known athlete might become arrogant and abrasive around previously adoring fans. There are countless stories of people desperately wanting to their heroes and being crushed by what they discovered upon meeting him or her.

The problem has very little to do with the so-called “heroes” themselves. Basketball hall of famer Charles Barkley once produced a commercial with Nike where he bluntly stated, “I am not a role model. I am not paid to be a role model… Parents should be role models. Just because I dunk a basketball, doesn’t mean I should raise your kids.” He was on to something. The problem is that we look up to the wrong people; we have the wrong heroes and a poor concept of who our heroes should be.

Paul, the Self-Aware Role Model

Paul fully embraced the idea of being a role model throughout his writings. In Philippians 4:9, he makes it clear that the Philippian Christians should use his life as a pattern for their own. Everything they learned from him, received from him, heard him say, and saw him do was to serve as an example for what they should be practicing in their very own lives. Acts 16 gives us some insight into what at least part of that example looked like. Less eloquently, but more bluntly, Paul encourages the Corinthian Christians to imitate himself, as he imitates Christ (1 Cor 11:1).

Paul was also aware of the example he set for younger evangelists. Paul instructs Timothy to “follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me” (2 Tim 1:13). He also tells Timothy to “entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” the things that Timothy heard from Paul (2 Tim 1:2). Given that Paul believes his death is imminent (see 2 Tim 4:6-8), Paul’s instruction to Timothy is born from a desire for the example he set for Timothy to remain not just with Timothy, but to be passed on by Timothy to others who will, in turn, pass it on to even more people. Paul is very intentional about not just setting an example to be followed, but also about working with those who will see to it that the example he set continues to be passed on from generation to generation.

My Heroes

Describing the impact in detail that different people I regard as heroes have had on my life would be an effortless exercise, except perhaps for the length required to do the topic justice. I am the beneficiary of the example that many faithful Christian men and women have set for me to follow over the years. From my dad setting that initial (and, thankfully, continued) example of faith in my life, to the many Bible class teachers, professors, and classmates who I have esteemed and interacted with over the years, to my wife who constantly challenges me to be better every day, and to my in-laws who serve as daily examples of how church involvement, membership, and ministry should look, I do not lack for the sort of heroes who are worth imitating. All that being said, there is one I want to especially focus on at this point.

Dr. Stan Mitchell was, at various points, my preacher, elder, professor, coffee appointment, song leader, and premarital counselor. He was, at all points, my encourager, confidant, friend, mentor, and still to this day, my hero. Outside of my wife, he is the single largest reason I decided to pursue preaching. He was the one who called me to offer me my first ministry job; a long-term internship with the Finger Church of Christ. He constantly pushed me toward academic success, convincing me to pursue a Master of Divinity when I made the decision to pursue ministry. The above picture is from the reception following my graduation. During our time together at Finger – and even after he left for another work one year into my tenure – he met with me as often as I wanted (at least weekly) to discuss my preaching, ministry, family life, faith, books, music, and anything else we wanted, or in some cases, needed, to address. Even after I’d moved on to full-time work in Oklahoma, I made a point of calling him first whenever I had a question about anything of consequence, and always took the time to enjoy coffee or a meal with him whenever I made the trip back to Henderson. He was always happy to oblige.

I am convinced that he knew exactly what kind of example he was setting for me. He certainly practiced what he preached. His sudden passing in February hit me hard. I had coffee with him at Freed-Hardeman’s lectureship less than two weeks before his passing. At some point I realized that would be the last time I would enjoy his company on this earth. I wanted to write something, maybe something like what I’m writing right now, but words completely failed me. After attending his funeral and observing the impact he’d made for Christ during his time on this earth (there are several like me he took the time to mentor as young ministers, and countless others that have benefited from the Christian example he set), a strong case of impostor syndrome took root in my life. Admittedly, it sometimes still rears its ugly head, but his example, among other factors, helped me to take on ministry with a renewed outlook. The reason? Like Paul, he had prepared me for this. Maybe it happened sooner than anyone had expected, but he knew good and well that there would likely be a time when he would no longer be with us and it would be incumbent upon the next generation, myself included, to step up and take on the work he had passed on to us, all while following his example of how that work should be accomplished. He felt the responsibility to set an example that would help lead people to Christ; it was now my turn to use that example and do the same. Thankfully, I have a clear picture of what that should look like.

Moving Forward

I don’t know who your heroes are. I don’t know who you look up to in this life. I do know, however, that the heroes we choose say a lot about who we want to become. I also know that the best role models are those that are cognizant of the example they set and are intentional about setting one worth following. If you want to deepen your faith, don’t simply follow people who seem to have good moral values, but rather make a point of following those who are intentionally trying to live lives that demonstrate what it means to be a faithful Christian. Find a mentor. Much like the Christians in Corinth and Philippi, as well as Timothy and Titus, find a role model with whom you can interact. Meet your hero. Spend time with him or her as often as necessary. When the time comes, be a mentor yourself. If you have children, start with them. I have two toddler boys that already emulate my speech, actions, and mannerisms. They present me with an opportunity to receive what I’ve learned from others; namely, how to live the way Christ intends for me to live. Reach out to others that need a mentor. Stan made a point of finding young men who needed a mentor, a guiding example, and being the guiding influence they so desperately needed. Meet your heroes, and when the time comes, be a hero yourself.