This warning also carries weight for those Hero Makers who seek to influence – we must continuously engage in a process of discernment ourselves, measuring our internal motivation and reason for investing. Are we engaging in the work of Hero Making to further the kingdom, or for our own fame and notoriety? The work of developing and influencing others is incredibly important and with it comes great responsibility. To truly make heroes of those over which we hold influence, we must be a people who desire to see God’s word prevail above our own.

Questions for Reflection:

• Who do you consider to be a hero? How did they gain that status in your life?

• Have you ever been led astray by someone you trusted, respected, or looked up to? If so, what effect did that have in your life? Your faith?

• When faced with a difficult situation do you tend to turn first to the advice of others, or do you turn first to the work of divine discernment?

• Can you identify a relationship in which you are the Hero Maker – someone who has influence and the authority to speak into another’s life? If so, what is your process of measuring your internal motivation in this relationship?

Practice: Prayer of Relinquishment

This week, try praying the prayer of relinquishment that Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Start each morning and end each day with it, praying “Not my will but yours be done.” As you pray this prayer, consider where you might need to seek God’s guidance – in your daily decisions, your relationships, your priorities, your desires, your motivation. Ask that God would give you the desire to seek that which leads to more healing, peace, grace, and love in the world, rather than what seeks only to serve you.