Heroes - Faith

Heroes.
We all have them, don't we?
The people that we look up to with love, respect and admiration.

I have many. Some of them I know personally, some I do not... Some are close to my age, some are much older... Some haven't been alive since long before I was born...

I have so many, in fact, that they can't ALL be my hero all at once. They kind of have to take turns with the spotlight of my mind.

And often, my "hero" of the minute isn't the real Hero. But my hero is my hero for a moment because (s)he allows the real Hero to speak through them in amazing ways. Or they show me things about myself that I need to grow and work on.

Currently?
I think Joel Houston is kinda cool.

The reason?

Sometimes when I'm worshiping, certain lyrics will jump at me and I'll have to pause and think, "Can I actually sing that?"

And it's not because the lyrics are untrue... They're not wrong.

They just take an insane amount of faith to truthfully sing.

And I don't want to shout something I don't mean.

Usually, with a little thought, I decide that I am willing to sing. But I'm glad I think it over first. And I hope Jesus notices when my praise is well thought out and meant fully, too.

But I've noticed... A few of these songs have the same name tagged on them: Joel Houston.

And I can't help thinking... If I need to pray and think about the lyrics before I can sing and know I mean them...

How much faith must the man who wrote them have?

A crazy big amount.

Faith.

It's something that I've always wanted.

When I got baptized, that's what I shared about - the faith I wanted to have.

"When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum.2 There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” 6 So Jesus went with them.

He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well." (Luke 7:1-9)

I shared this story, and I followed it up with this: "I love this story particularly because the officer doesn't have a shadow of a doubt that Jesus will be able to heal his slave, even without coming to his house.

I want faith like that.

Whenever I read stories like this, or stories about people in other countries who are persecuted for their faith, stories about individuals who trust so completely, my question is always, "Would I have the faith to do that? Would I have the courage to do that?" And my answer to myself is also almost always the same: I hope so."

I want more. I want stronger.
The faith to sing out, "The lost are found, the blind will see, the lame will walk, the dead will live and You, our God, forever You will reign." and believe it with every ounce of my being. (Yeah, I know. Not Joel Houston. Awks. Still Hillsong!)

And maybe, Joel Houston and his music are God's voice, saying to me, "Will you trust me? With this?Through this?"

Challenging me to grow.

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders."