Recently, a friend of mine introduced me to LifeChurch.tv, and I’ve been absolutely blessed and blown away by the messages since. Today I started listening to the “The Warrior” series about the struggles that men face when it comes to living in this world. I’ve heard the majority of this information before, but it’s really given me a new perspective on the subject and importance of male masculinity and how to encourage men to be the men God has called them to be.
In our society today so often men are imasculated and told to be more “feeling” or “feminine”. The struggle to push their masculinity aside and become more complacent in their daily lives than warrior-esque is everywhere. Men can’t even walk down the street without seeing some sort of advertisement for a better body, a better girl, or a better car. It’s no wonder that men struggle so much today with pornography, alcohol, substance abuse, and the fear of failing those closest to them. Their mindset is on what the world says and the worlds standards – which will absolutely disappoint them each and every time.
Call me a traditionalist, but after listening to this sermon series I’ve been truly convicted and encouraged all at the same time. Every man wants to be a warrior – he needs a battle to fight while on the earth. For some it may be a passion for the business world, for others it may be a desire to be in the ministry, and for others it may be just being a part of the lives of those around them or doing something remarkable for someone else. Every man has what it takes to be the man of integrity and character that he’s called to be. Did you hear that guys? YOU have what it takes to be the man of integrity, faith, and character that God is calling you to be! How exciting is that?!?
The problem is that often the fear of failure exceeds the faith in the power and ability of Christ and we end of hesitating in our faith, in our mission, in our work, in our goals – we hesitate because we begin to believe that we don’t have what it takes.
Of course, my favorite part of this sermon was the details on how the woman in every man’s life has the ability to make or break the man they are with simply with their words and respect. Look back in history at the great men of the centuries, in almost every case there was a woman by his side praying and encouraging him step by step, day by day. The thing is, Warriors will see conflict. Warriors will struggle to meet the goal and mission. Warriors will be persecuted – and it’s in the darkest hours that a Warrior needs a maiden to pick him up, love on him, tell him he’s worth it, and pray for his continued success. Even when it’s difficult girls, it’s absolutely VITAL that we encourage and respect the men in our lives. Whether it’s a father, a brother, a husband, a friend - whatever men are in your life they need your prayers, they need your encouragement, and they absolutely need your respect. How incredible is it that we, as women, have the ability to touch and bless the lives of the men in our lives so greatly!
My favorite story of a woman encouraging her man is that of Spurgeon who struggled everyday of his life with devastating persecution and physical illness. He knew his calling was to be a preacher to the masses, and to bring people to a knowledge and relationship to Jesus. The problem was, just like in today’s society, the people around him would hurl insults at him telling him he was ugly or that he was unproductive in his mission to change lives. People all around him would constantly mock this man, yet he persevered greatly in all that he did. One of the reasons for this was his extreme devotion to Christ, and I believe the other reason for his success was the encouragement, love, and respect of his wife. In his biography, his wife writes how her desire was to be her husband’s earthly comfort until he was able to be with his Heavenly Father forever. She made it her mission and objective in life to make sure her husband was uplifted, prayed for, loved on, respected, and encouraged on a daily basis. She was his earthly constant reminder of the great things he was doing as he changes the lives of thousands. She was the whisper in his ear each morning, “you can do it, I know you can, and with God by your side you cannot fail. I believe in you.”. Even as I write this story I’m overwhelmed with emotion realizing that I may be able to someday have that impact on the man I’m with. That someday I will be able to be the “earthly comfort” for a man who is doing great things on this earth. INCREDIBLE!
I leave you with this men – what is your passion? What is the deepest yearning of your soul? What is it that makes you come alive as a Warrior and want to fight for a cause? GO AFTER IT! Don’t let your fear overpower your faith and prevent you from doing the GREAT things God has called you to do. Find what you should fight for, and go after it with all your might. You will be successful with Christ as your anchor and centerfold in all you do. You can succeed, you will succeed, and you can do anything through Christ who gives you strength! Don’t ever give up on your goals and your mission in this life – Don’t give up!
And women, I leave you with these questions – how can you encourage the men in your life? What are the areas that you struggle with that hinder you from respecting them? Choose today to start respecting and encouraging – not finding fault but claiming success in the lives of men around you. Make the choice to stop bickering about what is missing, and start celebrating in what the men in your life are doing. Look for the good in the men in your lives, and challenge them to strive for the passions and goals that Christ has laid before them. Encourage them to be Warriors - to fight the good fight until the end. And yes, this is easier said than done – but I tell you great things happen to children with praying mothers, husbands with respectful wives, and brothers with encouraging sisters in Christ.
This is seriously, SO EXCITING for me!! God is SO incredibly good and has HUGE Plans for those who love him… it’s just a matter of taking that first step of faith toward the goals, passions, and desires that He has laid on our hearts. Remember – nothing is impossible with God (Mark 10:27).
And to the men in my life (specifically brother) - may God always guide and direct your every step, may He be the centerfold of your life and choices, and may you never forget how proud I am of you and your character, strength, integrity, and masculinity. I believe in you, respect you, and value you abundantly. Don't ever give up.
To take a listen to this sermon series... follow this:
http://www.lifechurch.tv/message-archive/watch/the-warrior/2
2 comments:
will you marry me?
Hey Tany -
i'm good friends with Chris Avery and Ryan Daugherty. And Chris told me about your blogs last night, then sent me your link. And as a guy who is compelled to call men to strong, passionate, CHrist-centered, servant leadership - i appreciate your challenge and heart as a woman. You are absolutely right, men are created in the image of God to cultivate, defend, protect, provide and instruct. And if they are not shown how to do it in a God-honoring way, they will simply abuse their power, or abandon it all together. And you're also right that, especially in marriage, a man gets his confidence (or lack of) from his wife. He will likely become what she calls him.
So thanks for sharing, I pray that God would continue to use you as a voice and example for Godly women.
Also, my wife and I grew up in Oklahoma, and actually went to Life Church for a few months before heading to SoCal. They're an amazing church doing great stuff for the kingdom.
grace and peace,
kevin wehr
Post a Comment