John 15:13- Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. NKJV.
Ephesians 5:25 - Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, NKJV.
Nehemiah 4:14- And I looked, and arose and said to the nobles, to the leaders, and to the rest of the people, "Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, great and awesome, and fight for your brethren, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses." NKJV.
I am leaving today to join about 35-40 men on a MEN'S ADVANCE in a beautiful wooded area just North of Spokane, Washington. As I embark on what always turns into an interesting adventure, I find myself reflecting on what it means to be a man and why manhood seems to be under such attack today from cultural forces that seek to make "maleness" a bad thing.Many men these days seem to be confused about manhood because they have been told for several decades now that aggression, strength, passion, drive and decisive action are qualities to be avoided. Men are being forced into a mold of "niceness" where the highest virtue to be achieved is to be "nice" to one and all. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to say that being manly is defined by being harsh or caustic, just that our highest goal in life should not be to make everybody happy with a kind of sappy sweetness.
As a man, I find that I am most inspired by great stories of love, sacrifice, brotherhood, courage and protection. Though I hate war, I recognize that it is a sad necessity at those times in history when to avoid it is to risk our very existence as human beings. War though seems to be one of those endeavors that brings out both the best and worst in men. Whether it is the story of Sergeant York, or movies like Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List or Hotel Rwanda, there is something so powerful about men who put it all on the line to risk life, limb, property, comfort and privilege to rescue, protect and sacrifice for others. It seems that when men live like this, they are fulfilling what it truly means to be "manly". This is precisely why Jesus Christ is the ultimate man and the greatest model ever of what a REAL MAN looks like!
As the above Scripture references make clear," laying down our lives, loving sacrificially, and fighting for our brothers, children, wives and houses", calls out to the "deep unto deep" within us and inspires something that often lies dormant in the day to day drudgery we call life. The good news is that it doesn't take a war or some kind of heroic act to live our lives this way. We were made to give up our rights, desires and comforts to assure that others may live well. It is in "losing our lives" that we truly "find our lives" and become REAL MEN. Men were made to give all for the sake of others and to put it all on the line to assure that the weak, the poor, the widows and the orphans are protected, provided for and loved. We are called to live heroically by loving our wives as they deserve to be loved, and by providing an example for our sons and daughters to follow.
One day, some of us will be called upon to literally put our lives on the line for our families, nation or Lord, but until we do, we must make it a practice in the rhythms of our homes, workplaces and churches. My friend and associate pastor Larry always reminds me that "we get good at what we practice at most often." If we practice loving, giving, sacrifice and true manhood, we will be the kind of man we want to be in the day of testing and when we stand in the presence of the Almighty and hear Him pronounce, "Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord!"
You really encapsulated Godly manhood well. It's not difficult for me to imagine a book in our church foyer with your name on it. Hope you guys are having a great men's retreat. I'm glad Christopher and I stayed home. The stuff hit the fan at our house last night. Deea would have had to handle my mom on her own. It was ugly enough with me there. I'll tell you about it later. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteTell Jess, "Hi!"
First, couple of quotes I liked,
ReplyDelete"Though I hate war, I recognize that it is a sad necessity at those times in history when to avoid it is to risk our very existence as human beings."
"...there is something so powerful about men who put it all on the line to risk life, limb, property, comfort and privilege to rescue, protect and sacrifice for others."
and the most overlooked,
"We are called to live heroically by loving our wives as they deserve to be loved, and by providing an example for our sons and daughters to follow."
Good reminders here. Being a dad, working every day, paying bills, being responsible...all excellent and noble acts of 'drudgery' that hold the fabric of our society together.
Families need Fathers, Husbands, and "Warriors" willing to sacrafice day after day, year after year!!