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Day 16
I Want To Be A Hero!
By Al Menconi
Roy
Rogers, Sheri Lewis, and Buffalo Bob
of the “Howdy Doody Show” all
passed away during a short period of
time a few years ago. Some would say
these people were heroes. Others say
they were simply entertainers. Whatever
your opinion, I remember them as positive
examples when I was growing up. I can’t
prove that they shaped my character in
a specific way, but I know that each
one had a definite, positive influence
on my life.
I especially liked Roy Rogers. He could
sing and he always caught the bad guy.
He was cool. When I carried my Roy Rogers
lunch box to school, I was him.
Now that Roy and the others are gone,
who do our young people look up to and
emulate?
Even cartoons heroes aren’t what
they used to be. We have degenerated
from Superman and Mighty Mouse to Bevis
and Butthead and “ South Park ”,
where one of the characters is actually
a “talking” piece of defecation.
When people listen to empty entertainment
like this, they allow these characters
to climb into their imaginations and
become their “heroes.” Teens
invariably imitate their heroes: they
tell their jokes, sing their songs, copy
their dress and image, and learn their
dialog as if they were quoting the Gettysburg
Address. Today’s “heroes” influence
today’s generation as surely as
Roy Rogers, Buffalo Bob, and Sheri Lewis
influenced my generation when we imitated their behavior.
I never thought of my parents as heroes,
but they were. I learned honesty and
responsibility by watching my father
conduct his business. I learned unconditional
love by watching my mother. I learned
faithfulness by watching my parents remain
faithful to each other for over forty
years. I learned about God and His love
for me while sitting next to my parents
in church every week. Nearly everything
worthwhile I have learned, I learned
from my parents.
Parents can shortcut the bad influences – we
can “head ‘em off at the
pass,” as Roy would say. Children
look for heroes inside the home first,
so we must be our children’s hero.
We must provide an example of honesty,
faithfulness and wholesomeness that’s
missing from today’s entertainment.
Another line of defense are those who
mentor others. Singles, have you ever
considered yourself a hero to someone
who is watching your life? Someone is
always watching! The entertainment media
offers too many less-than-worthwhile “heroes” for
young people to emulate. Don’t
give up the right to be a hero to others.
Reflection: Make a
list of your heroes. Share you list with
a friend who is also taking The Full
Tilt Media Challenge and discuss
who made your list and why they made
it.
Response: Write a
letter to someone who is/has been a positive
influence on your life, and tell them
how they helped you grow spiritually.
It could be the encouragement that they
needed to hear today.
Verse of the Day: 1 Timothy 4:1
"Now the spirit expressly
says that in latter times some will
depart from the faith, giving heed
to deceiving spirits and doctrines
of demons..." (NKJV)
To understand how this verse applies
to entertainment we must understand that
the doctrines of demons are sex, drugs,
occult powers, and rebellion. This is
verified throughout the Satanic Bible
and the Holy Bible (1 Samuel 15:28 and
Galatians 5:20 ).
You should also recognize these “doctrines
of demons” as popular themes in
today’s music, television programs,
movies, and video games. This Scripture
says that some will lose their faith
(and joy) because they choose to entertain
themselves with these doctrines. Are
you struggling with your faith? Maybe
your entertainment has been a negative
influence. Remember, even the doctrines
of demons can have a good beat, a funny
joke, or an exciting chase scene!
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