Heroes of Love and Mercy

W hen considering the term “hero”, superheroes immediately come to mind, each wearing a unique costume. The same is true in our lives, except the heroes surrounding us do not wear capes. Rather, they are clothed in the love of God. Jacob, Brooklyn, Tucker, Jeana, and Dr. Daehnert represent family, friends, and mentors who collectively make up my community. “Community” is simply a fancy word for the fellow believers I do life with, celebrating life’s greatest joys and mourning mankind’s greatest sorrows. They are the people who genuinely know my heart and receive my confessions.

It is in confession that I find the members of my community to be true superheroes, continually pointing me back to the love of God. When I fall short of God’s glory, the devil is quick to tell me to hide my sin. But the word of God says just the opposite. James 5:16 tells us that confessing our sins to fellow believers, coupled with prayer, brings about healing. Openly discussing our sin with those closest to us sets us free from shame, resets our course toward the Lord, provides accountability, and dispels the lie that we are alone in our struggle.

I have allowed a fear of judgment to silence my confession and withhold healing from me far too many times. I have felt as though confession would lead everyone to abandon me. But this is a lie straight from hell. Every time I confess before my brothers and sisters in Christ, I do not find condemnation but love and mercy.

I stand amazed! If humans, sinful and broken as you and I are, can offer seemingly boundless love and mercy, how much more can God who is faithful offer? How much more steadfast must be the love of a never-changing God? How much more endless must be the mercy of Him who gave up His only Son?

And the good news…the same is true for you, my friend. God is in loving and relentless pursuit of your heart through the heroes in your life. And He wants you to be a hero for Him, too, pointing others to the only Hero capable of delivering people from death to life, Jesus Christ.