Who do you look up to?

Have you ever found yourself intrigued and in awe of someone? Perhaps it was a celebrity? Well, that's not exactly what I'm talking about. The best way to describe it is seeing someone who you want to become. We can be in awe of celebrities, but when I see a celebrity somewhere, it isn't really about them. It simply becomes a story i get to tell. I've seen some actors in Aspen skiing, some Christian singers at conferences, etc. I was there, and it was neat to see them, but the only thing I really got out of it was a story to tell.

This isn't what I'm talking about here. A better example of what I mean is for a medical student to meet a famous doctor that wrote a book about the field of study they are wanting to get into. This is where you are not in awe of them being famous, but you admire them for who they are and want to be like them or where they are. You find yourself with them and asking them a 100 questions. You just want to know the key to being who they are, where they are in a career, or in life.

As God humbles you, you will see the need for more of that. I have more and more people that I admire all the time. Amazingly, some of the ones I admire also seem to appreciate certain things about me. I believe this is the body of Christ at work. As I see humble, God-seeking people live their lives, I notice things in their lives that I admire. I want to be around them. I want to see what makes that area strong. Sometimes, I just want to sit down with them and a pen and pad and just interview them. What can or could I have done better? How did God show you that? Yet, something I might be good at seems so natural for me and not something to admire.

I admire people who think of ways to be a blessing to people. I admire people who are just self-less and easy to get along with. I admire people who have strong convictions and let those convictions mature, but don't compromise them for their own interest. I admire the guy who works hard for his family and doesn't use 'man of the house' to have a king persona. I admire people who surrender their own desires and become missionaries in other countries. I admire the couples that work as a team on everything. I admire the women who find their place in ministry in the world and at home at the same time. I admire people who can constantly put other people's desires and problems ahead of their own. I admire people who can walk past the same temptations I seem to struggle with all the time. I admire people who expose their faults and weaknesses and failures to me to help me be stronger and not make the same mistake. I admire people who have any of these things and act like its no big deal they are like that.