Bible Text: Hebrews 11:37-38 | Speaker: Dr. Harold J. Sala | Series: Guidelines For Living | They were stoned; they were sawn in two; they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. Hebrews 11:37-38

Writing my book on heroes—people who have made a difference in our worlds—was the result of reading a featured story in a news magazine decrying the fact many young people lack the same kind of heroes their parents had following World War II. The article mentioned a survey of young people today who were asked who their heroes were. The answers included primarily rock stars, sports heroes, and movie personalities. A few political activists were named–no scientists or educators were included in the list. Neither Billy Graham nor Mother Teresa made the roster.

At least it made me start thinking about my heroes. Who are they? And what sets them apart from my perspective?
I readily admit that my heroes are in a different class than the average youth today, and perhaps my heroes were different at age 18, though I have to say most of the people that I have looked up to were just as high in my book when I enrolled as a college freshman at age 17 as they are now. I jotted down a list of the people I have held in high esteem, and I’ll share it with you for whatever it’s worth.

As I started thinking about my heroes, I noted that they are not perfect individuals at all. Each of them was flawed in certain ways, yet there are three qualities which they all seem to possess: 1) integrity, 2) commitment to their ideals, and 3) the willingness to stand apart from the crowd to be an individual. They marched to the beat of a different drummer.

Dr. Timothy Lin will always be one of my heroes. This quiet, scholarly man left a real impact on my life during my graduate studies. He showed me that spirituality and scholarship complement each other. But most importantly, he was a man after God’s heart. Bob Pierce, the man who founded World Vision, was another of my heroes. What I most admired in Pierce was compassion, genuine love and compassion, in a world that knows so little real tenderness today.

Another hero of mine was George Mueller, the great man of faith and prayer who built the orphanages in Bristol, England, a man who defied the German rationalism of his day and learned the simple lesson of faith. In the same vein as Mueller was a Norwegian-American who has been instrumental in calling millions to prayer, Armin Gesswein. Until God called him home at age 93, Gesswein headed a ministry known as Revival Prayer Fellowship. Gesswein, in my opinion, is made of the sterling stuff that you don’t often see today.

Hudson Taylor, Adoniram Judson, and David Livingstone are also high on my roster of heroes. These three dared to be different by leaving behind family and aspirations to be God’s men blazing trails of missionary service. I often quote Hudson Taylor as saying, “God’s work done God’s way will never lack God’s supply,” and we have found that to be true in 50-plus years of broadcasting here at Guidelines.

There are more than a few women whom I have held as heroes as well: On my list you will find Gladys Aylward, Lillian Trasher, Amy Carmichael, Elisabeth Elliot, Mary Slessor, Mother Teresa, and my own mother, who was a saint in her own right. There’s a vast array of men and women, each of whom is a real hero whose names are unknown, but God knows who they are, and in His time He will reward each of them. Heroes–there are plenty of them today. They simply need to be discovered.

Resource reading: Hebrews 11:1-19