Hero Syndrome

Within many men is the desire to be a protector and provider. You can see this in their thoughts and decisions. They want to ensure every need is met and every heart is full. Every need. Every heart.

But what happens when the hero tries to save everyone? What becomes of the hero’s primary mission?

What often happens is that heroes try to save the world at the expense of their own lives and mission, which may go unfulfilled.

Think of hero syndrome like this: a wormhole opens from another dimension, unleashing over a million enemy aliens into the world. Seeing this, the hero decides to first help a cat out of a tree and escort a little old lady across the street. After this, he sees a car accident and stops to help, along with a bank robbery…you get the picture.

Soon, the hero sights are no longer on the world he was specifically called, equipped, and able to save.

This is hero syndrome.

This is the plight of many men today. Though they are called to help and minister to specific people, they find themselves trying to help everyone BUT themselves and the people they are specifically called to help. Then the people he is called to help often receive the scraps and leftovers of their time, talent, and treasure. This may cause him to miss his ability to fulfill his mission to them.

So many men have gone down this road. But not Jesus. We can consider Him to be a real-life superhero. He came down from glory to save His creation from sin (Philippians 2:5-11).

Jesus never forgot His mission.

Though thousands of people sought Him for help, Jesus’ mission remained primary (Luke 9:52-56). And I would like to believe He had two “missions.” The first was to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 2:2). The second was to invest in twelve men who would carry His good news throughout the world.

Jesus didn’t chase people down or try to force them to believe in Him. When Jesus asked Peter who people said He was, Jesus didn’t try to make people believe He was the Messiah (Matthew 16:13-16). When the rich young ruler turned away from following Him, Jesus didn’t chase Him down to implore the young man to believe; to know He was better (Mark 10:17-23). The young man made his decision and Jesus simply allowed the young man to walk away.

If we were in this situation, we might have chased the young man down or ensured everyone Peter talked about would believe in us. But in doing so, we would be turned from our mission.

As the “hero” in your life, God has called you to reach specific people for a specific purpose. No more. No less.

But here is the outcome for those who save everyone else’s day, but not their own:

Matthew 7:21-23—Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Here is a “hero” who did many things but didn’t do the one thing that was important in his own life, save himself. When “hero syndrome” takes hold of us, we often lose sight of our own spiritual well-being. We’re moving so fast so often that we don’t take any time to assess our spiritual condition.

As Jesus went through various areas, He healed and delivered. His actions in those times didn’t affect His mission. Likewise, you can do good works (Matthew 5:14-16), but they shouldn’t override your God-given assignment.

You are not called to save everyone. You are called to complete the work that God gave you to accomplish. Live for Him. Be righteous. Live holy.

Don’t miss your reward through Christ Jesus because you missed your mission. Examine yourself today.

2 Corinthians 13:5—Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

^{hoto by Muhd Asyraaf on Unsplash}