It Takes Courage

(Click the pic to listen to it)

Top ten reasons it is good to be a man:
1).Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.

2). A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.

3). You can open all your own jars.

4).You can go to the bathroom and the kids won’t bother you.

5). It’s easier to go to the bathroom in the woods.

6). Wedding plans take care of themselves.

7).Your underwear is $10.00 for a three-pack and you can where them inside and out so technically you have 6 pack for $10.00

8). You don’t care if someone notices your new haircut.

9). If you retain water, it’s in a canteen.

10). And the last one, four letters – ESPN .

Paul wrote these words in I Corinthians 13:11

“When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.”

There’s a great need in America today for boys to become men. And just because you’re 21, 51, 61 or older doesn’t mean you’re a man. Age has nothing to do with it. We have a lot of fully grown people who are still boys. They’re still acting like children. It’s still all about me, and it’s all about selfishness, and me and mine, and what I can get, and what feels good. And we have a need for boys to become men and for men to be men of God and men of honor, men of faithfulness, men of courage, and men of selflessness and sacrifice and service. James A. Garfield said this: “I mean to make myself a man. And if I succeed in that, I shall succeed in everything else.”

In the scripture we looked at in the last blog entry, I Corinthians 16:13:14

“Be on alert. Stand firm in the faith. Act like men. Be strong. Let all you do be done in love. “

Becoming a man starts first with a relationship with Jesus Christ. This is the greatest gift you can give to your wife and kids and others around you. Then, we look upward, inward and outward and be the man who God has designed us to be. It takes courage to begin a relationship with Christ and let Him change the way you think. It takes courage to do away with childish things, childish thinking, and childish attitudes. It takes courage to lead your home in spiritual things. It takes courage to bring your family to church. (this is not the trend in the 21st century). It takes courage to love your wife, girlfriend, or fiancé the way she deserves to be loved.

It takes courage not to say anything when your spouse messes up. It takes courage to pull up along-side of your kid(s) when they fail or do something wrong. It takes courage to tell your kids about when you messed up as a child and then praying with them and teaching them how to ask for forgiveness.  It takes courage to take the initiative and join the ranks of Joshua who said, “as for me my and my house, we will serve the Lord.” As for me and my house – we will love our enemies. As for me and my house – we will forgive those who have wronged us. As for me and my house – we will love those who persecute us.
As for me and my house – we won’t flip off the person who cuts us off on the interstate because our kids are watching our every move.

God is not calling us men to be perfect dads or perfect men. Such a person doesn’t exist. You are not called to be a perfect dad. You are not called to be a perfect g-pa. You are not called to be the perfect role model. Paul makes it pretty clear with scripture what we are called to. We are called to stop speaking like a child, reasoning like a child, and we are to put away childish behaviors. 

There is a difference between being childish and childlike. If you want to know what childishness looks like, just watch your kids, or someone kids and you get a picture of childishness really quick. Then ask yourself how am I acting like that child? Children are naturally self-centered, “it’s all about me and what I can get.” For children it is all about feeling good for the moment. Children pout when they don’t get their way. Children say dumb things like, “I hate you!” or “I never get what I want!” Childishness expects others to be perfect when you are not. Childishness explodes in erratic and irrational behaviors.

Dads, I think we know where are kids pick up their behaviors. Unfortunately …. Not only do our kids pick up our good behaviors but they also take our childish behaviors to the extreme. The things kids pick up most on is how spiritually dull or indifferent we are. In the last blog entry I shared a statistic that reflected the effects dad’s and grandpa’s have on the life of a child when it comes to spiritual things. If dads are dull and spiritually indifferent – its more than likely, no matter how spiritual the mom is, 80% of the kids will choose spiritual indifference. Spiritual indifference is not caring anything about your spiritual life or the life of your family.

I discipled a guy who didn’t care about anything spiritual before he met Christ. Nor did his family.  A young man starting coming to the student ministry  with a friend. While in the student program at the church he came to know Christ and his life was dramatically changed. It changed so much his parents thought he joined a cult. So his parents came to check out this church in Sidney. I met the dad, spent some time with him – and he came to know Christ. Before he came to know Christ, the boy had to explain to his dad what was going on in his life. There were some verbal battles. But once the dad became spiritually alive and began to care about the spiritual things in his family – his son was free to pursue ministry. His son is now the children’s pastor of one of the nation’s fastest growing churches in America. The dad is now a head of a motorcycle ministry that raises money for cancer patient. And now the mom helps with the same ministry.

It’s an extremely scary thought. But it’s true. Dad’s, men – you have that kind of influence in the life of your child.  No matter how good or bad your dad was ….  Most little boys want to be like their what? Their dads. Most little girls want to marry a guy like who? Their dads.

Dad’s, grandpa’s, and other men, this is why we need the courage to take the initiative to lead spiritually in our homes by praying for our kids and spouse, asking for forgiveness when we mess up, seeking God daily through Hiss word and worship, and knocking continuely on God’s door begging him to give you the courage to be the man he has designed you to be.

Look at the courage of David. He didn’t know how to fix chariots or make armor. He knew how to watch sheep and play a harp. David knew how to use a sling shot. He wrestled bears and killed lions. David knew Goliath was no match for him. He wasn’t stupid though … he took 5 smooth stones just in case he missed.

Where did David’s courage come from?  David knew what he was designed to do. He loved God with all his heart mind and soul. He knew something had to be done. All the others were scared by the size of Goliath. David knew, “the bigger they are the harder they fall.” David knew this was an opportunity for God to be glorified! But his courage didn’t come from what he knew and what he could do – that helped. His courage came from knowing that God was with him – live or die. Success or failure. 

The same is true for us…. Courage comes from knowing God is with us – live or die. Success or failure and doing what we are designed to do. David was doing what he was designed to do – protect God’s sheep.

How do you know what you are designed to do? First, ask yourself, what are good at? And write down everything you are good at. Second, pray, “God, how can the way I was raised, the experiences I have had, the talents you have given me, and the time I have to bless others.” Listen. Then, do it! You are called to do something greater than you are. Something that takes courage.

We are called to do something greater. I believe that’s why many of us connect with movies like American Sniper, The Gladiator, or Braveheart. These kinds of movie get our heart pumping because we know these men were willing to die for something much greater than video games, ESPN, or whatever keeps you from stepping up and being the man God has caused you to be.

I think we can all agree ….. there are some childish behaviors we need to let die. There are some childish actions that need that need to disappear. And this takes courage.

Will you be that man?