Sidekicks
Roy A. Mason
 
Recently, I wrote about the theme in fiction where heroes are in danger of becoming what they were fighting against. They become consumed by the quest and fall victim to the power they gain. The hero always seems to have someone who is considered a "sidekick" - someone who is dedicated to support and encouragement. Even the term "sidekick" is degrading and can be easily mistaken for being incidental or even unimportant. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many times they are instrumental in the hero's accomplishment of his mission, but seldom get credit for their valor.
 
In the films based on JR Tolkien’s books called "Lord of the Rings", the main character barely avoids becoming the evil he wishes to vanquish. He achieves this in the end, because he has a companion who believes in his abilities and supports him. The sidekick character literally picks up the hero and carries him to his appointed task. The hero receives the praise and glory and the "sidekick" stands back and smiles. They don't need credit or glory because their only goal is that good prevails.
 
Who supports you in your life? Who holds you up in the face of adversity and yet doesn't get proper credit? God gives us love and encouragement through His word. Our families and fellow Christians are there to give us support and build us up. We attend church to worship God and get support from our brothers and sisters in Christ.  First Thessalonians says “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.” (1 Thes 5:11 NAS).
 
Do we take our spouses for granted? Many times I have been tempted to give up on a task and yet try even harder to accomplish the task because of encouragement from my wife. We need support from the people we love. We must also be willing to offer the same support in return. As a married couple, we are one flesh and we must support each other in all that we do. We need to express our love and appreciation to the people who carry us to our goals. The book of First Peter says “You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show herhonor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.” (1 Peter 3:7 NAS).
 
A commonly used term is "God is my co-pilot" in books and film. This sounds like an expression of great faith, but is it really? It's the same as saying "God is my sidekick". Ultimately, we should be the co-pilot and let God be the pilot in our lives. We need to let the glory of our accomplishments go to God. We need to be the sidekick who doesn't want the glory for himself. We must revel in the accomplishment of good, not in the worldly fanfare. It says in the book of Philippians “do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.” (Philippians 2:4 NAS)
 
We are called to be gentle and humble. We must not ever take God's love or the love of those around us for granted. We must cherish those around us and be their “sidekick” offering support and love.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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