Let’s lift up some local heroes today: first-responders and medical personnel. Pray for encouragement and protection over them.

One of my favorite lines from the new movie, The Avengers, is when groggy Bruce Banner rouses in a pile of rubble after his transformation from being the Hulk, and a local farmer eyes him warily and says, “Son, you have a condition.” Being a hero isn’t always about using superpowers and defeating the bad guys. Sometimes, being a hero is tough work. Sometimes, it isn’t fun at all. Sometimes, it just plain hurts.

What makes an act heroic? One element is that it requires the willingness to put oneself in a potentially dangerous situation that the rest of us could not – or would not – do. Think of a firefighter who enters a burning building to rescue someone, a police officer who chases an armed criminal or a soldier facing live ammunition.

Although we like to focus on the accomplishments of our favorite heroes, part of the job description for being a hero can also mean suffering – physically, emotionally, even socially. The prophet Isaiah talked about the suffering of a hero, many years before the hero was even born. In chapter 53, he foretells that Jesus would be despised and rejected, and that he would be “familiar with pain” (v. 3).

The apostle Paul, arguably one of the great heroes of the Bible, continued Isaiah’s line of thinking in his letter to the Philippians when he said, “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings” (3:10, NIV). Did you catch that? He didn’t just say that he wanted to know the power of Christ’s resurrection, but he added that he wanted to know Jesus so deeply that he even suffered with/for him.

If we are to truly become heroes, then we have to move beyond just desiring power, authority and special abilities. We need to be willing to bear the burden of suffering for our faith, if and when the time comes. (And if we’re close to Christ, then those times will come.) Like Bruce Banner was tested to manage his rage and first-responders are tested to exhibit courage in the face of danger every day, we will be tested to determine if our faith is legit (Romans 8:16-18). When we come out on the other side of that suffering time, though, then we will share in Christ’s glory – not to the benefit of our own egos, but in celebration of God’s mighty power.

Look at the people around you today. What are their strengths? How can you encourage the hidden superhero in each of them?

Before Steve Rogers became Capt. America, he displayed heroic traits. What do your day-to-day behaviors say about your superhero potential?

Why wouldn’t someone like Superman want to be the hero 24/7? Why bother trying to be human? What would you do, in his shoes? Why?

Even superheroes aren’t always treated as such. Consider Clark Kent & Peter Parker: they had very humble roles when they weren’t in uniform.

As a cup bearer, Nehemiah did more than just act as the king’s waiter. He even taste-tasted potentially poisonous drinks! What a heroic job!

Think about your strengths and skills today. How can you use those God-given “powers” to help the world?

If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? How would you use your power to help the world?

With the exception of mutants (X-Men …), millionaires (Batman, Iron Man …) and residents of distant planets (Superman, Thor …), many of the superheroes we read about in comic books and watch on the big screen started out as everyday human beings. They are often portrayed as über-dorks who would not normally be considered superhero quality (Hello, Peter Parker? Steve Rogers?) So, what is it that transforms these Nerd Hall of Fame contenders into world-savers? What traits do they share in common?

The Old Testament book about a man named Nehemiah shares the details of his efforts to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem after Israel’s enemies had demolished it. In chapter 3, he mentions a “House of Heroes” within the city. The reference is tucked in between other local landmarks, such as the King’s Garden and the Pool of Siloam. Several Bible commentators speculate that the House of Heroes may have been a memorial to members of David’s army or other courageous men of the day. Whatever the original details were, the fact remains that someone thought it would be meaningful to recognize people of extraordinary caliber in that place.

The mystery surrounding the House of Heroes in Nehemiah reminds me of the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. The monument is etched with symbolic pictures representing Peace, Victory and Valor. Without knowing the soldiers’ names, we recognize that they gave up their own lives for the sake of the cause.

Is that what makes a hero? In many regards, I would contend that the answer is yes. Jesus said that there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for a friend (John 15:13). To die for a noble cause is certainly heroic, but does it always require dying in order for someone to be considered a hero? Think about the superheroes you remember from childhood. What do they have in common? Courage, selflessness, dedication, honor … the list goes on.

We may not have alien-born parents, mutant genes or futuristic technology to equip us with superhuman powers, but we, too, can exhibit heroic traits in our day-to-day, human lives. Let’s devote our prayer time this week to thinking through ways that we can become heroes wherever our paths take us.