Any spiritual hero, whether described in Scripture, biography, or in our community, is only to be admired as he or she reflects Christ. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to imitate him, as he imitated Christ (1 Cor. 4:16, 11:1).  In 1 Thess. 1:6 we read, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” Above all, Jesus is the one we are to follow (Matt. 4:19).  He told us so. After He washed the disciples’ feet, He said, “For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you” (John 13:15). He is the only sinless hero. 

The best counselors are always on the lookout for new blogs, podcasts, audio lectures, booklets, and books to recommend to counselees. So much has been written and said concerning typical and even atypical counseling problems. We start with the Bible, of course, the primary resource. It points us to the divine power which “has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).

My purpose in this blog is to suggest not only seeking biblical understanding but incorporating the stories of fellow saints when we counsel. We can begin by using biblical narratives to demonstrate godly living to be imitated (1 Cor. 10:11, Rom. 15:4). Stories of saints who have gone before us are all over the Scriptures. In addition, reading biographies of Christians from previous generations inspires us and our counseling because we see examples of their perseverance in the faith. Let’s not forget the living saints found among us. Those who are young in the faith see God at work in fellow Christians. Those who have been saved for decades appreciate reading about how other believers handled trials with fortitude. Even though we have many saints to admire, only Jesus is to be followed in all things.

Heroes in the Bible

Hebrews 12:1 asks us to picture ourselves surrounded by the saints in the Old Testament: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…” The men and women mentioned in chapter 11 walked by faith without receiving “what was promised” (Heb. 11:39). The author reminds the reader that the heroes of the faith were looking ahead toward that which we experience now in the New Covenant. This knowledge helps us to run the race with endurance. The example of those who have gone before inspires our earthly walk.

These heroes were flawed, though. Some of the names are surprising. We expect to be reminded of Noah and Abraham, Sarah and Isaac, Joseph and Moses. Even though some aren’t on our shortlist of Old Testament saints, we can understand why Abel and even Enoch are included. But we might question Jacob, the trickster and manipulator. With an even more remote association with faith, we read of the children of Israel (v. 29).

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