Heroes.

"We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by."

-Will Rogers

"Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of man. Silently and imperceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or we grow weak, and at last some crisis shows us what we have become."

-Guideposts

"Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous."

-Proverbs 2:20 NLT

Have you ever made a list of your heroes? Think about that for a minute. Who would be on your list? Do you have a lot of heroes, a few, or maybe you've never given it a thought. Maybe you should make a list today.

My greatest hero is my dad. He didn't do everything right and certainly made his share of mistakes, but when it came to raising boys he had it all together and in my personal, unbiased opinion, was the absolute best. Of course, right up there on the pedestal with dad was my mom. There you have my top heroes.

The dictionary defines a hero as, "a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities : a war hero." Okay ladies, I'm sure you can see from above that I do have female heroes (mom) and I'm sure you do as well.

As a kid my heroes included Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, John Wayne, and Zorro. Back then a kid could have Hollywood and TV heroes who were worth following. Not so today. Most of my heroes then were cowboys and the good guys always rode white horses, except for Gene Autry. That's funny because now that I'm older, and maybe wiser, I still have some cowboys as heroes. Most of you won't know these heroes: Edwin Taylor, Mike Wilcox, and Colby Wells of Monticello, Utah. These cowboys are the real thing; tough as nails, love Jesus, compassionate, and not one of them, to my knowledge, even has a white horse. They are real heroes.

I've noticed, as I get older, my heroes become real people and not just TV personalities. I have heroes today like Adrian Rogers who is now in heaven but still preaches to more people in one day than most guys preach to in a lifetime.

Charles Swindoll is a hero who can write circles around most authors when it comes to putting the Bible on a shelf everyone can reach, read, and understand.

Jerry Falwell, who is also in heaven, is without a doubt the greatest visionary I've ever met! I remember praying with him and the Liberty University student body, kneeling in the snow, asking God for a mountain that wasn't even for sale. Today, Liberty University and Theological Seminary are perched on that mountain.

Jerry Ediger! If you know Jerry you know exactly what I'm saying. This guy is a courageous overcomer like few other men I know. Injured playing high school football, Jerry now rolls around in a wheelchair, and nothing stops him. That wheelchair certainly does not limit his ability to love and encourage kids and adults alike. What a great attitude! Jerry's tough!

Dave Adams, at Boyce College in Louisville, Kentucky, is a hero of mine. This guy has touched the lives of more students than any man I have ever known. I have known Adams for thirty-five years and he is always thinking students! Adams is the kind of guy I could call at three in the morning and he'd say, "I'll be right there."

Of course, I have a lot of Biblical heroes, people like Moses, Joshua, Noah, Elijah, Ruth, Rahab, Gideon, David, Solomon, Daniel, the fiery furnace guys, Paul, Peter, and the disciples. Jesus is my hero but his heroism is way beyond anybody else. It's a different kind and worthy of following for life.

That's what this verse is about, isn't it? "Follow in the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of righteousness." You may be thinking, "Instead of what?" Look at Proverbs 2 and you find a list of the "Don't follows." Follow in the steps of good men!

I try to follow in the steps of good men. I have heroes I know, heroes I don't know personally, heroes younger than myself, and heroes that are ladies. Of course you knew this was coming: My greatest hero is Jesus. Heroes can let you down. Supermen can run headlong into kryptonite and crash and burn, Davids can lose their focus with Bathshebas in sight, guys like Peter can be wishy-washy at times, even the followers of Jesus may flee when danger approaches. Not Jesus . . . he never fails. He's always with us. When our strength is gone, his strength becomes perfect. When we are unworthy, he is worthy:

"Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom

And strength and honor and glory and blessing" (Revelation 5:12 NKJV)

You want a hero?

Follow him!