We all want to be a hero. We want to be the one who saves the day or scores the game winning goal for our team. However, Bethany Hoang says that we shouldn’t just strive to be a hero, but also a saint.
“Living as saints instead of heroes means relying not on ourselves, but depending together on the grace and power of God as we seek first the Kingdom of God and His justice and righteousness.”
Bethany Hoang says that always wanting to be a hero has one critical flaw: saints are other-centered when heroes tend to be self-centered.
“Our culture worships heroes and being a hero is really about what we feel about ourselves. It’s not about the person we are being called to serve.”
“Saints are those who are following Jesus and who are being poured out and not doing on their own strength, they are doing it by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
One of the best things about the idea of sainthood is that the word saint is never used in singular form; it’s always used in the plural form of saints.
“There’s no singular use of the word saint in Scripture. It’s always about a community, it’s always about a body of believers coming together to do this miraculous work of God that can only be done by Jesus as we follow hard after Him.”
“It’s a night and day distinction between us trying to run out and be the lone-ranger who gets some kind of fading glory compared to being saints radiating the imperishable glory of God.”
How is God calling you to be a saint in the lives of those around you? Listen for His guiding voice as you walk out the path He has placed before you.
Bethany Hoang is an author and speaker with a driving passion to help others live the connection between justice and following Jesus. Bethany has served for more than a decade as Advisor and Founding Director for IJM’s Institute for Biblical Justice.
Sara Groves is an American contemporary Christian singer, record producer, and author.
Key Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15
Featured Songs: When the Saints – Sara Groves; Kingdom Coming – Sara Groves; I Saw What I Saw – Sara Groves
Heroes and saints
