Ever Considered Yourself to Be Brave?
While studying a marriage resource called “Love and Respect” from Dr. Emerson Eggrich, I heard him say that any man can “pull out his inner superman” at any moment. Touch his arm, and a man will immediately tighten the muscle to show how hard that muscle really is. Look in a mirror while no one else is looking, and he’ll suck in the gut enough to make his upper torso bigger than his middle. I laughed out loud when I heard it because I make those exact responses often. My wife reaches to take my arm when we are walking together, and my first response is to tighten my muscle.
I don’t want to be weak or even to be thought of as weak. Do you? Well, I am not superman, and the older I get the more difficult it is to maintain a lean, healthy appearance. But, there is an area in which I am growing stronger. This key area of my life has greater impact than my physical prowess or lack of it. I thought I might become more tentative as my life progressed into adulthood, but it hasn’t. In fact, I am getting braver, taking more reasonable risks, and enjoying being strong in my relationships. How is it possible to watch my body age but my soul being renewed daily? BTW: This is not bragging on me, but giving honor to God Who alone is responsible for changing me.
There is a super man who lived so bravely and endured so much trial, that I can’t help but admire him. Ever heard of Louis (Louie) Zamperini? Well, you would be wise to learn his story. Briefly summarized, I can tell you that Louie (1917 – 2014) due to his Italian heritage, was bullied most of his childhood in Torrance, CA. He became an extreme delinquent very early in life and was believed to be headed for prison or a life on the streets.
After being persuaded by some high school girls and encouraged by his brother Pete, Louie joined the school track team and running became his life. He set a high school record for the fastest mile at 4 minutes 21 seconds, that held for 20 years. Louie competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and would have competed in the 1940 Olympics, but WW II broke out in Europe. The USA joined the war in 1941 and so did Louie Zamperini.
He became a crew member on a B-24 Liberator bomber. Louie was assigned to a crew on the B-24 named “Super Man” (I didn’t know that when first writing this article – but it is kinda’ cool), but after being riddled with over 500 enemy bullets it was grounded while he and some of his crew went on a rescue flight in another B-24 to find a downed pilot in the Pacific. Their “rescue plane” lost two engines to mechanical failure and ditched in the Pacific. Only 3 of the crew survived the crash, living in a life raft and eating seabirds and an occasional fish. One of the men died of starvation while Louie and “Phil”, his pilot friend survived 47 days before being picked up by a Japanese patrol boat
They lived the rest of the war as prisoners, and Louie was beaten daily month after month by a prison guard (nicknamed The Bird) who hated him and was determined to break his will. Louie survived and remained unbroken by his captors using a strong will, athletic disciplines, and an attitude that he simply needed to make it one step at a time. In the movie “Unbroken” – based on the book “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand, Louie’s story is told.
I chose to included Louis Zamperini’s story of bravery and endurance to introduce you to another story of bravery and endurance. Louie’s fate was thrust upon him by no choice of his own. He didn’t choose to be stranded in the Pacific or to be a prisoner in a cruel Japanese POW camp, or to struggle with alcohol, depression, and PTSD for years after the war. But Louie Zamperini had a life-changing encounter with another man, who also was a prisoner for a while.
This man was cruelly mistreated not for wearing an enemy uniform but for announcing to the religious and political leaders of His day that He was the Son of God Who had come to take away the sin of the world. He bravely faced His punishment for telling the truth and for loving others even when they hated Him.
This man is Jesus Christ, and unlike others who have had suffering thrust upon them, Jesus Christ died in our place on purpose, willingly. He came to die and erase our sin debt. He paid a debt He did not owe for us, who owed a debt we could not pay.
Louie came to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who set Louie free from alcohol addiction, horrible nightmares of torture, depression, and decline. Jesus restored Louie’s failing marriage. Jesus can do for you what He has done for me and Louie and millions of others. He can help us be brave to fight our own battles and win. Let’s reveal the true Super Man to the world.