Jesus: The Only Manly-Man

“Stop looking for the path of least resistance and start running down the path of greatest glory to God and good to others, because that's what Jesus, the Real Man, did.”  - Mark Driscoll

Men. Listen up. Sorry ladies, this post is primarily for the guys because it is dealing with being a man, but if you are a woman reading this I would encourage you to keep on reading because if you are planning to have a dude in your life someday this will be crucial in that process. So in saying that, men lets buckle up.

Manhood. What in the world does that mean? We as men hear so many things about what we should do and what we should be. Society and the world tells us that men have to have a ripped muscular physique in order to be considered "attractive." That we need to be chiseled from granite and have those six-pack abs. We need to do manly things! (insert grunt here) We need to be outdoors-men, grease-monkeys, or jocks. We need to treat woman like sexual objects, and in doing so saying things like "I'd tap that," as well as anything else. The world says we can't show our emotions. The only time a man cries is when he is in intense pain or by himself. Emotions are looked down upon. If you don't party you are looked down upon because you are labeled as "too good for it," which somehow gives you a bad image. You have to be competitive, and if you aren't then somehow your looked as less than the standard. For everyone of those examples, we as men are looked down upon if we don't meet those standards. So what do we believe?

It is a struggle. At least for me it is. I see some of those things up on that list and I think of my own life. I look at myself being a bigger guy as not attractive because I don't look like friggin' Patrick Dempsey or some ripped-guy like Thor or something. I see girls swooning over those guys, and it makes me want to be attractive like them. I struggle with treating woman with respect sometimes. I lust, and say things with other guys that don't reflect what Christ is, but what society says. It isn't a cake walk that is for dang sure. So, I ask again. What do we believe?

Look back up at that quote again. As Christian men we have the manliest example. That example is the one and the only Jesus Christ. He is the way, the truth, and the life!  He came to this earth was beaten, mocked, and treated cruelly. He bore all of our sin on a cross! A CROSS! Wanna talk about being masculine? Uhhh sorry but you ain't got nothing on Jesus.

That is the example we follow. Not the easy, cop-out way of living that this world tells us to follow, but the way that brings glory, faith, love, and hope in God, our Father. We as men are not called to follow the world. Paul says this in Romans 12:2, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Seriously though, I want to seriously call out all the guys reading this when I say this because I have felt really convicted lately when it comes to this. What are we doing?

Why do we continue to look to the world for our answers, and try to take the easy way? I want us to look in our hearts as Christian men, and look to the one we follow for our example. Jesus is the main man. He has been and always will be that for us, and let us FINALLY grasp that. Let us finally stop trying to follow society's standards, but instead look to Christ who not only broke these standards but also gave us new ones to follow. Heavenly ones.

Father, we love you. We come to you as your sons and daughters and ask that we start to examine our lives and our idea of being a man. That we don't have to be the guys with the hot bod because you created us the way we are in order to glorify you. We don't have to follow the standards of the world, Lord, but only the ones that you manifested in your Son. We pray for your daughters now Lord that they can find good men in this world that give them examples of what to look for in their future significant others, and may they not be entangled by what the world tells them is attractive but by what you say is attractive and that is godliness. May that same prayer be prayed for all the sons. That we can look for woman not based off of worldly attraction, but off of godliness. We all pray this in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who is and always will be ultimate example for us all, man or woman, to follow. Amen.

Waiting: Combination of Trust and Hope

Waiting. Something we as humans tend to hate. Whether its sitting in line at the grocery store, or if it is going through the drive through to get some fast food. We don't like it. We love the instant gratification just like it says in that one commercial, "It's my money, and I want it now!" We as an American culture get so caught up in getting what we want instantly we lose focus of one of the most rewarding things and that is the art of waiting. 

Now, what exactly are the aspects of this term and practice. For me and in my interpretation, two words come to mind when thinking about waiting. The first is the word Trust, and the second is the word Hope. Let's dive into these two and then link them back together. 

The first word that I want to uncover is trust. In Psalm 40:4 the psalmist talks about this trust, and what exactly that means for us as Christians. He says, "Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods." Based on that verse trusting in the Lord leads to blessings. Right? Isn't that what it says? BLESSED is the one who trusts! So, how exactly does this relate back to what God wants for us in waiting? This is how. If we trust in God. That doesn't mean just saying it, but believing it. Then waiting should and will be worth so much more than anything we can imagine because God blesses those who trust in HIM. Waiting links back to that because if we truly trust and truly believe that God will bless us then that act of waiting will only put that trust into action.

The second word then is hope. In Isaiah 40:31 it says, "but for those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." That really exemplifies hope and what that word really means. The act of hope in the bible really is just another word for wait. So, substitute the word hope with wait in this verse, and that is just the exemplification of what it means to wait with a biblical mind set. 

So now think about your life and how you wait. Do you actually wait biblically and give the control or power over to God, and trust that he will bless you? Or do you find yourself pushing the envelope and trying to control every aspect in order to get that instant gratification? Think about it, and apply this to how you handle patience. It isn't about if you are impatient or not, but deeper than that. Do you believe and trust that God does good in all situations? That is the question.

Father, we come to you tonight in praises and unbelievable gratefulness for assuring us that no matter what we go through that you have something greater for us in heaven. We just ask tonight that we can grasp what it means to wait, and the deeper issue behind that. Show us that we can trust in you during all situations because you bless those who wait as it says in Psalms, and you give us strength because we do indeed wait as Isaiah said. Help us to realize that these things and continue to grow closer to you. We love you Father, and we pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Stand Firm: Not Our Doing, but His

Stand firm. The simple phrase used in the bible so many times, actually I looked it up and the phrase standing firm or around those words is used 34 times in the bible. Now, obviously if a word or phrase is repeated in one book you know that this is probably important and should be looked into right? I think so personally, but when we think of what it means to stand firm we get some different and twisted perceptions that tend to be different than the true heart behind it. So, today I want to dive into that phrase and look at it from a biblical stand point and show how that is completely opposite than what we are fed by this world.

Let's look at some verses with that phrase in it. The first piece of scripture that I want to look at is Matthew 10:22 where it states, "You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved." Another place is in Luke 21:19, "Stand firm, and you will win life." 

Now when you read those two verses the first thing that comes to my mind at least is that somehow standing firm and the act of doing that is something that I have to do by myself. That it is on my own power that this "standing firm" is all about, and in that I have to work in order to be saved in the end at judgement. That is what society tells us as well isn't it? That in order to overcome anything in this world that you have power through, and overcome through your own power. Pull up your britches and take it all head on. But, this isn't what God's desire is for you when it says standing firm in his Word.

A better example in scripture that depicts at least what I think is meant by standing firm is written by Paul in 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 when he says, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." This is the perfect foundation to stand firm upon. (Pun intended) God's desire is not for us to try and do this all on our own power, and standing firm does not mean for us to work harder or do better for God, but instead relying on him for it. Look what it says in verse 21 where it says that "it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ." So in other words, God made us, let me repeat that, HE MADE US to not stand firm by our own, but what did it say after the stand firm. It says IN CHRIST! No not to stand firm on our own, not on our own power, but through CHRIST we can stand firm. IN HIM not of ourselves! That is what standing firm means. So in closing, I just want to say just like it does in the title. Standing firm is most definitely our doing, but is and always will be HIS doing. So, my question for you is then. Are you standing firm on your own? or do you stand firm in what Christ has already done upon that cross and what is waiting for you in eternity?

Father God, we just come to you tonight in amazing praise. Not for what we have done or anything that we will do, but for everything that has been done by your Son upon that cross. Thank you for that. We just ask tonight that you continue to work in our hearts and allow us to stand firm according to your Word and remind us continuously that you are what keeps us standing firm Lord. We can continue to do that because of you and only you Father. We love you so much, and are reminded daily of that through the cross. In the name of your Son Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.