In the presence of leaders – Sadducees,  Pharisees, and Roman leadership – Paul continued to fight.  He fought for his rights as a Roman citizen and staunchly stood his ground when it came to defending the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It did not matter the outcome, before blue collar and white collar he was going to advance the Kingdom of God.

What about us, guys?  Do we stand for our rights as husbands, fathers, better yet,  men?  I’m not advocating that a National Organization for Men be created to protect our rights.  I’m simply asking if you’re willing to stand up and be the man God designed you to be.  Paul did.  He was a leader, courageous, a risk taker, a man of integrity and character.  He was humble, yet confident of his identity in Christ.  I could go on, but I think you get the picture.  I want to challenge you to begin the process of becoming the man God designed you to be.  Begin by earnestly praying and asking God to reveal to you a – one – characteristic that you need to change and work on.  Once you’ve identified what it is, then write down some steps that you can implement into your life that will help you change that characteristic.  Search through the Bible for men who are like the man God wants you to be.  Look at their lives as examples.  What was different about them?  Did they have to change?  What was it about them that changed?  How did they change?  Learn from  their lives.

Now. . .are you ready to be a modern day warrior?  Willing to fight for the Kingdom of God?  Want to see God’s Kingdom advanced?  Want to see neighborhoods, cities, workplaces, even churches changed?  Easy to say yes.  Harder to live that yes.  I know.  I’ve had to change some things about myself.   Ask God to grant you the courage to become the warrior. . .the fighter. . .he so desires you to become.  Then. . .well. . .just start standing up for Christ; even if no one else will.  If you don’t then that means no one is.  He stood up for you.  Will you stand up for Him?

Fight for the heart of your King!!

Mike

Elijah, what a man of GOD. 1 Kings 18 records his showdown with the prophets of Baal – one man against 850 pagan prophets. For some reason i can see Clint Eastwood playing the role of Elijah. Here he is sending Obadiah to go fetch Ahab, reasurring him that he’ll be right here, he ain’t goin’ nowhere.

When Ahab shows up and tries to blame Elijah for Israel’s troubles Elijah holds his ground. He’s not quakin’ in his boots. Then again why should he? He’s standing for truth. . .for GOD. Instead of trembling with fear, Elijah confronts Ahab with the truth of his actions. It is Ahab and his family that has brought trouble upon the folks of Israel. They are the ones who have abandoned GOD’s commands and pursued the Baals. For some strange reason I see Elijah’s eyes squinting, head cocked to the side just a little, hair gently blowing in the breeze as he confidently confronts Ahab.

Then Elijah calls him out!! He wants a showdown – cue background music, think the whistle from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. So everyone gathers at Mt Carmel – Elijah, prophets of Baal (all 850 of them), the folks of Israel, and Ahab.

Remember, not only was Elijah confronting Ahab and the prophets of Baal, but he confronted the people of Israel – “How long will you waiver between two opinions? If the LORD is GOD, follow him; but if Baal is GOD, follow him” (v. 21). And the people said nothing. I imagine they ducked their heads, shuffled their feet in the dirt, and gathers their children in front of them, as though they were using them to hide behind.

So the showdown takes place. The prophets of Baal get the pick of the bulls to sacrifice and offer up to Baal. By the end of the day nothing has happened. All they are left with is a smelly, fly-infested offering, bleeding and bruised bodies from where they have beat and cut themselves to get Baal’s attention, and beat up pride and egos from Elijah’s public and open taunting – all day long!

Then. . .cue music. . .Elijah takes his place. He rebuilds the altar, offers up the leftover bull as a sacrifice to the LORD, He commands that water be poured over the entire altar and offering until the trenches around the altar are full. Then he prays to the GOD of heaven. What happens next is truly amazing. The fire of the LORD burns up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil. It even laps up the water around the altar. Want to imagine with me the look on the faces of the prophets of Baal, Ahab, and the folks of Israel? Oh my, oh my.

GOD’s Word says that the folks from Israel fell to their faces and worshipped GOD and the prophets of Baal went down – literally. Elijah commanded that not one of them should live.

Boldness. . . Guts. . .GOD – that’s how you become a man of GOD. We can’t do it on our own, but we play a part. We have to decide to fight for the heart of our King. We have to pick up our sword, even when no one around us will fight.

What about you? Picked up your sword today? Willing to fight for the heart of your King? Want to see GOD do something amazing?

Boldness. . .Guts. . .GOD – that’s how it happens.

Mike

A little background on Ahab.

• He had become king of Israel (1Kings 16:29-33).
• He was even more evil than any of those before him.
• He married Jezebel and began worshipping Baal and erected Asherah poles to be worshipped.
• He did more to provoke the LORD and his anger than all the kings before him.

THIS was not good king – get the picture?So what’s so great about Obadiah? Great question. Well. . .as the story goes on Jezebel is tired of the prophets of the LORD and begins to take it upon herself to rid the country of them. While Jezebel is out killing the prophets of the LORD, Obadiah is saving 100 of them by hiding them in two caves – fifty in each. Not only is he hiding them ,he’s also providing food and water – he’s keeping them alive.

Obadiah wasn’t just taking a risk by keeping them safe, he was taking an even greater risk by providing sustenance to a hundred men! Think about that for a moment. We usually go, “ahhhh, isn’t that nice?” right about here. But it was much more serious than that. He didn’t just put them away and forget about them. Whether he used his influence or he personally provided food and water we don’t know, but it took more guts to keep them alive than just hiding them. What if word had leaked out? What if word of Obadiah’s actions seeped into the ears of Jezebel? Not only would a 100 men of GOD had lost their lives, but so would have Obadiah!

Obadiah was a great man of GOD. And while he may have feared Jezebel, I get the sense he feared GOD even more. He stood for GOD when no one in the kingdom, except Elijah, would stand for Him. He exhibited boldness. . .guts. . .and a fear of GOD that goes beyond showing up for worship and Bible study on Sunday morning. He lived out his faith, risking everything for GOD.
Would you risk everything for GOD? Many men have over the years. What about you? Willing to risk the safety of your job? The status you enjoy in your community? The stability of your home or finances? The position you have in your church? What are you willing to risk for GOD?

This is a question I am wrestling with even now. I know what it’s like to wrestle with the commitment question. . .the risk question. I am right up there with you. Pray for me. Let me know what GOD is asking you to risk for him and I will pray for you.

Remember it takes boldness and guts to be a man of GOD.

Mike

In Numbers 13:30 & 14:6-9 we get a full-blown, unobstructed view of what it looks like to pick up our sword and fight for our King.

13:30 Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.”

14:6-9 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.”

Hope you didn’t miss it, but in case you did let me help. First, Caleb stood against his peers. These weren’t run of the mill Israelites (if there is such a thing). These were leaders from the 12 tribes of Judah – hand picked by Moses himself. These were men of esteem, men of wisdom, men who could be trusted. But when they saw the people of Canaan, they gave in to their fears and gave the people of Israel a bad report and eventually persuaded the Israelites to rebel against Moses and ultimately God. Then Joshua steps up. I love it. With confidence to spare – not in himself, but in his God – he tells the people that they should go up and take the land – take possession of it. As in, it will be ours, not theirs. As in, we will overcome whatever and whoever is in our way. As in, we shouldn’t care who owns the land now, we CAN do it! His entire report is the complete opposite of these men of renown.

Then Caleb stands against the people. When only two guys – Moses and Aaron – are hurt by the people’s rebellious attitude, Caleb, along with Joshua, join them. He stands when no one else will. He stands for God and against an entire nation. Now this is what it looks like to take up your sword and fight for the heart of your King when all those around you are running. Why were they running from their inheritance? One word – FEAR! But Caleb didn’t give in to fear. He didn’t give in because he didn’t see giants he saw God. Caleb knew and trusted God’s power – his ability – to overcome the giants of the land flowing with milk and honey. He didn’t give in to his fears – I don’t even know if he was afraid. Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t any different than ten of the other men that went on that trip. Maybe he wasn’t any different than me and you. Maybe. . .Then again, Caleb also knew of the incredible power of God. Instead of seeing giants he saw God. He saw the God of deliverance – the God that brought them out of Egypt and across the Red Sea. He saw the God who goes with us – and provides for our needs just like He provided food, meat, and water for the Israelites throughout their journey. He saw the God of protection. He saw God!

So how do you get to this point in your life with God. That’s a great question. In Joshua 14:9 and 13-14 we get a hint of what it takes. Joshua is dolling out the land to each of the tribes and Caleb comes to Joshua to collect his inheritance. Read these words.

9 That was the day that Moses solemnly promised, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance, you and your children’s, forever. Yes, you have lived totally for God.’

13-14 Joshua blessed him. He gave Hebron to Caleb son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. Hebron belongs to Caleb son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite still today, because he gave himself totally to God, the God of Israel.

Twice during Caleb’s conversation with Joshua he is referred to as a man who gave himself totally to God. Want to be a Caleb? Want to get past your fears? What to overcome the giants in your life? Want to see God in your situations? Do what Caleb had learned to do – give yourself totally to God. Don’t hold anything back. It doesn’t matter what you think you must have control of – turn it over to God. This is what it looks like when we come under the LORDship of God. This is what is looks like when we place ourselves under God’s authority.
Caleb, what a man! A man of vision – for he saw God instead of his fears. A man of God – he gave himself totally to God.

What about you? What are your fears? What are the giants in your life? What’s getting in your way of seeing God – protector, deliverer, provider, King of heaven and earth? What’s keeping you from giving yourself totally to God today. Do you want to see God instead of your giants?
Take some time to list your fears. . .to answer the hard questions. Ask your wife. She’ll definitely let you know. Ask other godly men who know you and your heart. Then open yourself up to God. Confess those fears and ask God show Himself afresh to you right now.

Me – my giant is trusting God to provide. It’s such a giant in my life right now that I can’t see the God who has, time and time again, provided for my every need. I weep at times because of my lack of faith. My fear shoves me into the closet so I can’t be used of God. I’m working through this with God as I write this. I want to fight for the heart of my King and to be a man with a heart for God! Join me!!

I just wrote an article for Catalyst Monthly. Should be in next month’s issue. I’m not sure exactly how to say this–don’t have my mind wrapped around it yet. And it probably won’t come across as very academic. But one of the most over-looked and under-appreciated dimensions of great leadership is guts.

Yesterday I preached about Jonathan climbing a cliff while Saul sat under a pomegranate tree on the outskirts of Gibeah. I love Jonathan’s modus operandi in I Samuel 14: Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. It took guts to climb that cliff. But a little bit of guts saved the nation of Israel.

It took guts for Benaiah to chase a lion. For the normal person, the gut reaction would be to run away. But Benaiah made a gutsy move–he chased the lion. And it changed the course of His life.

Great leaders are gutsy! It takes different shapes in different arenas. But gutsy leaders dare to be different. Gutsy leaders challenge the status quo. Gutsy leaders refuse to play it safe.

And no one was more gutsy than Jesus! He wasn’t afraid of offending Pharisees; touching lepers; washing feet; defending prostitutes; or befriending tax collectors. In the words of Dorothy Sayers:

To do them justice, the people who crucified Jesus did not do so because he was a bore. Quite the contrary; he was too dynamic to be safe. It has been left for later generations to muffle up that shattering personality and surround him with an atmosphere of tedium. We have declawed the lion of Judah and made him a housecat for pale priests and pious old ladies.

I just have this growing conviction that what the church lacks is guts. We need more leaders with the spirit of Jonathan; the spirit of Benaiah; and the spirit of Jesus. We need more leaders who climb cliffs, chase lions, and throw Temple tantrums!

It’s not enough to have the truth in our minds. It’s not enough to have the truth in our hearts. We’ve got to get the truth in our guts!

It takes guts to share your faith. It takes guts to tithe. It takes guts to pursue a God-ordained dream. It takes guts to lead a small group. It takes guts to confess your sin. It takes guts to follow Christ.

Praying for guts!

I love what Mark has to say about guts.  Hey guys, it takes guts to be a leader – in your home, in your church, in your workplace, and among your friends.  It takes guts to be different. . .like Jesus.

Do you have the guts to follow Jesus?  To lead your family?  To have an unquenchable passion for God?  To change your community?  To do the right thing when no one else will?   To be different for the Kingdom’s sake?

If not, then like Mark and me, pray for guts.  Pray that God would give you the courage to be the man He designed and desires you to be.

I want to thank Mark for challenging me and allow me to use his post to challenge you.

3 This is what the LORD says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem:
“Break up your unplowed ground
and do not sow among thorns.

 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD,
circumcise your hearts,
you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem,
or my wrath will break out and burn like fire
because of the evil you have done—
burn with no one to quench it.

When I read that passage the phrase “circumcise yourselves to the LORD, circumcise your hearts“, really jumped out at me.  Now I know we men don’t like to think about circumcision and I’m really glad it’s done at or near birth.  Don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine what it must be like to go through that event as an adult – my eyes squint and my jaw clinches.

Then again, GOD is using circumcision at a metaphor for his command for us to set ourselves apart. . .to cut away the things in our lives that keep us from being holy and readily available to God.  Things like pride, self-centeredness, unfaithfulness to God, our wives, and our families, eye-wandering when a lady walks by, surfing the net hoping to “accidentally” stumble upon a web site with some short-lived eye candy or intentionally looking at pornography, whatever it is that is keeping you from being available and set aside for GOD’s purposes needs to be circumcised – cut away with and discarded.

Men, we need to consecrate ourselves for GOD and His purposes.  And every day we put our feet on the floor we need to be cleansed.  So how do you circumcise your life and your heart?  How do you consecrate yourself for GOD’s purposes?

We begin with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  It’s through his shed blood on the cross that we are made holy and can have a personal relationship with GOD (Heb 9:21-23;  Col 1:22).  And, because we are human and we’re guys, we mess up.  So now we confess our wrongs to GOD.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  Then we repent – turn away from our sin and the stuff we are doing and turn to GOD (Acts 3:19).  We are to turn toward His principles and desires for our lives.  This means we will have to identify those things in our lives that cause us to sin and stop doing them and start doing those things He desires of us:  spending time with Him, talking with Him, being obedient to Him, taking risks for Him, faithfully loving our wives and children, and much more.
Next, I believe we must pursue the things of GOD – the heart of GOD, His righteousness, His holiness, His love, His mercy, His grace, His desires – so that they become a part – an integral part – of who we are as men.

This is where I am – learning about being consecrated to and for GOD and His purposes.  I am also learning that to be the man GOD designed and desires me to be I must circumcise those things in my life that prevent me from being readily available to and for Him.  I’m working through the identification process – identifying those things that make me unholy, those things that I need to confess and repent of before the LORD.

What about you?  Ready to become the man GOD designed and desires you to be?  Commit to circumcising your life and your heart for Him.
Mike

I’m not so sure we do. For some reason when a son turns 18 he’s considered an adult and expected to act like an adult. But just because we are another year older doesn’t mean we are treated any differently or act any differently. Those of you who work with middle school, high school, and college students know this first hand.

I think for me, whether it was planned or not, my rite of passage was when my dad invited me to wax my truck while I was in high school. I’ll never forget that Saturday. It was huge for me. Dad asked me to help him wax the truck – the one he was going to give to me when he thought I was ready for that kind of responsibility. It wasn’t any truck. It was a ‘69 Chevy Custom with a factory installed 396 c.i. motor – the same engine that came in any Chevy car with SS after it’s name. He would rub the wax on and I would remove it. OK, if any of you know what it’s like to hand wax a truck with paste wax you know where I’m going. Removing the wax – and I mean every place it had put on had to have it removed – was not the easiest thing in the world. After that, I liked putting it on much more. But dad invited me into the man’s world of cars. . .his world. He put expectations on me from that day forward – take care of the truck and help with the other vehicles. That meant doing the routine checking of oil, water, and air in the tires. That meant changing out the points and the spark plugs – yes, we used to change our own points and rotors in the distributor. Something was different now. Something had changed. I cared about the truck and the what happened to the other cars. I looked after them when Dad was out of town. He was there to help or lend advice when I couldn’t figure it out, but it was up to me now.

For some it’s going on the hunt and getting that first deer with dad. For some it’s the first car or the driver’s license. For some, sadly enough, there’s nothing to tell a boy he’s now a man. And they live like it. There’s no expectation of how he’s supposed to act. Some overcome it, but many do not.

So. . .did you go through a rite of passage with your father? If so, what was it? If not, would you have wanted to? Does it really matter all that much these days? I’m very much interested in finding out your thoughts on this matter.

Relative to this matter, I’m praying about a possible opportunity to go to Africa this summer. If it’s God’s desire for me to go I will work with pastors and men, but I will also get the opportunity to talk with these men about their rites of passage for their young men. I hear the Massai tribe has a pretty intense ritual. I would love to hear it from them and talk to some of them that have gone through it.

Be the man!

Mike

I’ve been reading through a book I have come to find both intriguing and challenging. It’s Paul Coughlin’s No More Christian Nice Guy. In it Coughlin posits the idea that our culture and our churches are creating “Christian Nice Guys” and in doing so are damaging our families, our boys, our men, and even our churches.

Coughlin suggests that we (culture and church) have created an environment where men have become passive, uninitiated, and where “nice” is preferred over good. There is a difference, you know. Jesus was good, but He wasn’t always nice.

Let’s consider how many times he confronted (something nice guys don’t do) the Pharisees and Sadducees. He used words and phrases like. . .

• “Hypocrites!”
• “White-washed tombs.”
• “Fools!”
• “Dull.”
• “Brood of vipers fit for hell.”

Think back to the time He got angry at the temple and stood up for God and the truth of God. What did He do? Remember? In case it has slipped your mind, or you’re unfamiliar with the passage, We find in John 2 that Jesus got angry and began tearing the place a part. He even made a whip and started beating some people with it. Doesn’t sound like a guy who was “nice,” does it? So while Jesus was a good guy, He wasn’t always a nice guy. He was passionate. He was a risk-taker. He was a leader. He was a changer and a doer. He wasn’t a “yes” man. He certainly didn’t “go with the flow.” He was compassionate and loving. He was gentle, but not at the expense of His masculinity.

I go to thinking the other day. What’s the picture I often see of Jesus on the cross? It’s usually this emaciated man; one who looks like He’s been on a starvation diet for some time. But as I read about Jesus of the Bible I find Him to be a carpenter. A blue-collar man. He has callouses on His hands. The muscles in His arms, shoulders, back, and chest are well developed from years of hammering, chiseling, hand sawing (no power saws here, guys), and carving. His face is worn from sweat and dust. His skin is dark from walking in the sun that last three years. He doesn’t stand out from the crowd. He looks like many of the carpenters in the carpenter’s union. That’s the Jesus I see on the cross.
Our culture tells us to be nice . . .

• “Now you boys play nice.”
• “Be nice to one another.”
• “You don’t want to do that. It sounds too risky.”
• “If momma ain’t happy, ain’t no one happy.” – I’ve said this one a time or two

What about our churches? How have they contributed to men’s desire to be “nice”? Well, when was the last time you heard a preacher tell women to learn to relate to their husband in his language? I often hear preachers and leaders encourage and challenge men to learn how to relate to their wives. It’s like we need to learn their language. We need to get in touch with our sensitive sides so we can understand them better. Yet, I rarely hear the same leaders encourage women to learn to understand their men better. Or to learn how to relate to them in the language of men. Or to stop expecting men to be something they’re not – soft and sensitive – and encourage wives to be more sexual and hands on. It’s as though the pressure is all on the man to make things work – even if it means emasculating him.

So we give in. We allow our culture, and even our churches, to step all over us. We stop being what God created us to be – leaders, risk-takers, doers, thinkers, challengers, . . .

Dr. Laura Schlessinger wrote the forward. She writes,

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to remind men that they are men, and that this designation is not about biology; it’s about strength, will, honor, courage, leadership, sacrifice, compassion, and love.

Here I am, a nice Jewish mother, writing the forward for a book about Christian Nice Guys. Why? Because, within the context of Christian Scripture, there is a message for all of us: Men and women are created differently, equal in value, but different. The unisex, anti-male mentality that has infiltrated all our institutions, even our religious ones, has not brought cooperation, love, and serenity to homes and lives. In order for our children to become happy, functional, loving, contributing members of this world, they need the support an structure that an intact, happy home can bring. I see No More Christian Nice Guy as a step in that direction.

Don’t know about you, but that says a lot about where we are and where we need to get back to.

Last month Coughlin’s suggestion came to life for me. I had taken my car to get the tires rotated before I headed back to Texas spend time with my family over the Christmas holidays. I was reading this book when a young lady and her daughter came in to the waiting area. As I set the book down she asked me about it. I shared the premise of the book with her. She grinned and said that her best friend was struggling – in her marriage relationship, she was struggling. It seems that her best friend’s husband was too passive. Her best friend wanted her husband to be more aggressive. She wanted him to step up and make decisions. . .to take a stand. . .to take the lead. She wanted him to be a man. Oh, both of these families, I found out, are active in one of our locals churches.
It seems that there is more to this concept than meets the eye. It appears that this is just not an idea for the pages of books, but is alive and well. . .even in the buckle of the Bible belt.
As I wrap up, here are a couple of the chapter titles:

• Jesus the Bearded Woman
• Other Earnest but Damaging Church Messages to Men
• How Being “Nice” Ruins Love and Marriage
• We’re Men, Not Eunochs
• Masculinity: The Journey from Nice Guy to Good Guy (parts 1 & 2)
• Searching for One’s Soul and Facing One’s Fears
• No More Mr. Nice Guy: Practical Help for Your New Life Ahead

Hey guys. If you’re looking for a book that will challenge your thinking about manhood in the 21st Century, check it out.

Mike

Former CNG

If you noticed each of the questions above were point at you – NOT YOUR SPOUSE (if you have one). FYI – you’re job is to change you, not someone else. . .even your spouse.

So. . .what will you change?

Will you be more intentional about doing what it takes to have a RELATIONSHIP with God?

• Spending time with God – quiet time (or whatever you call it) that is consistent and regular.
• Intentional prayer times – not just shot in the dark or “fast food” prayers.
• Reading God’s Word – not just the devotional thought in the morning or evening.
• Share your story with God with others – not expecting others to do it for you.

Will you begin, and continue, to work on putting everything you are and everything you have influence over under the LORDSHIP of God?

• Heart
• Attitude
• Emotions
• Problems – big and small
• Finances
• Relationships
• Giftedness, abilities, and passions
• Job
• Hobbies
• You have more I’m sure

Will you WORSHIP the Lord by developing an unquenchable thirst for the things of God?

• Worship becomes a lifestyle.
• Sharing the difference Christ makes in your life.
• Loving others.
• Loving God.
• A hunger for God’s Word and understanding it.

Will you pick up the sword of WARSHIP?

• Fighting for God’s truth and His standards – even if it means standing alone.
• Fighting for your heart – especially when there’s no one to fight for you.
• Fighting for your Eve – fighting for her integrity and character.
• Fighting for the hearts of a few men – having their back even if they don’t know it.

I don’t know where you are in the process of becoming the man God designed and desires you to be, but you can start by having a personal relationship with Him. Click [here] to find out how. If you have a personal relationship with God, then you can begin the process, or in some cases kick the process up a notch, by choosing one of the areas listed above and gettin’ busy.

Just a reminder: The process doesn’t mean there’s a starting and ending point to each of the steps. In all actuality, you will be doing some in each area at the same time. They are integrally connected. So. . .when you’re developing a consistent time with God and working on the RELATIONSHIP, you are also working on the LORDSHIP – putting your time under His authority – and WORSHIP – becoming passionate about the things of God. Eventually you build up to the WARSHIP step of the process as you grow in your relationship with God by learning how to fight the victorious fight.

Find it . . . Pick it . . . Do it!

Mike

Max makes some statements about faith, that, as I pondered them, really helped me.  Allow me to share them with you.

• Faith is the conviction that Jesus can and a hope that He will.
• Faith is not (my emphasis) the belief that God will do what you want, but that He will do what is right.
• Faith is the belief that God is real and God is good.

Then I got to thinking . . . why is it so difficult for us men to have the kind of faith that allows our lives to intersect with God’s power?  Why don’t we trust God for everything in our lives – relationships, attitudes, finances, job, hobbies, children. . .you get the picture?  I think it has to do with our pride and our culture.

Our pride and our culture are inter-linked.  Our pride tells us we don’t need someone else’s help.  Our pride makes us a spiritual island.  Our pride makes us devoid of God’s power.  Our pride blinds us to our need – Jesus.  But, we give in to it. . .we protect it. . .we cherish it.  We polish it, love it, lean on it, trust in it, and allow it to control us.

Our culture, better yet, generationally we have taught our boys and young men that real men don’t need any help.  Real men pull themselves up by their own boot straps.  Real men suck it up. . .walk it off. . .don’t rub it. . .don’t cry. . .are strong. . .yadda, yadda, yadda.  Hey guys!  That’s a load of crap and don’t buy into it.  I remember when I used to think that I did everything myself.  I even remember telling my mom that all I had was because of all I did.  I worked for it.  I earned it.  I paid for it.  What a foolish little man I was.
Within the pages of the Bible we find a man who tried to take on life on his own.  Saul wouldn’t wait for Samuel to offer the sacrifice before they fought with the Philistines, so he did it himself.  Oooo, bad move.  After than God removed His hand from Saul.  It wasn’t Saul’s place to offer the burnt offering.  Besides, where was his faith in his LORD – the same LORD who set him apart as king of Israel?  Saul missed out on God’s power because of his fear. . .his pride.
When we try to do things ourselves – apart from God – we miss out on experiencing the power of Jesus.  I’m not sure God will remove His hand from you, but I do know from personal experience that you will not know of His incredible power.

Men, don’t allow your pride, our culture, your father or your father’s father tell you that you have to do things on your own.  YOU DON’T!!  Faith – it means trusting God’s heart, even when you can’t see His hand.  Faith – it’s putting trust into action.  Faith – it’s believing God wants the best for you.  Faith – allows you to see God move in and around you in the most incredible of ways.  Faith – don’t miss it!

Mike