Perspective and Patience
Perspective and Patience - without one it’s hard to have the other. The word of God puts it this way in Heb.6:12 “so that you will not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." Men, the fight of faith is to keep the proper perspective as you wait for God’s will to be done in your circumstances, finances, family, job and personal life. There are only two ways to do this. First, spend time with God in the word and in prayer. In difficult times, you can't just continue with 'life as usual'. Spend extra time seeking the Lord. You might want to add a fast to your prayers! Leave the TV alone and go to God. Let Him give you His perspective on your situation. Secondly, fight to keep a patient attitude. Impatience will lead to frustration, anger, and quitting. Remember, God does not waste your time. If He's keeping you waiting, it is for a purpose. Let patience have it's perfect work. In other words, be open to what God is doing in your heart during your waiting period. At the end of the day your faith and ability to trust God is what will lead you into victory.
Who Are You Accountable To?
Western males, especially in the USA, pride themselves on being self-made and independent. This attitude has also found its way deep into the Christian community. Accountability is one of the key components in being a true disciple. Accountability is a bad word to most men who at one time or another have been burned by male authority figures. But if you want to grow and mature as a follower of Christ, you have to be willing to receive input into your life. So my question to you is, "Who are you accountable to?" When was the last time that person looked you in the eyes and asked you, "How are you treating your wife?" "What have you been looking at on your computer lately?" "How’s your thought life?" "How’s your word and prayer time been this past week?" If you want to reach your full potential ask someone to hold you accountable soon!
Take Risks, and Go For It!
The Super bowl was good this year. Some good commercials and some bad. But the game was a tale of two halves. The first won by the Colts, and the second won by the Saints. But the deciding factor in the game didn’t come down to one play during the Colts come back drive. The game was won when the head coach of the Saints carried out his game plan. Take risks, and go for it! In my opinion that is what won the game for the Saints, and that is the same attitude that will help you win.
Live your life with no regrets. Don’t live with the regrets of unconfessed secret sins, or the regrets of unforgiveness and bitterness. Don’t live with the thought that you allowed the fear of failure to keep you from ever attempting the things God gave you the idea to do. Be the first to try! It would be very hard to find an old man on his death bed, who said he took too many chances, was too daring, and took too many risks. In fact, the opposite is true. May that never be said of you. Starting today Go For It and see what happens!
Live your life with no regrets. Don’t live with the regrets of unconfessed secret sins, or the regrets of unforgiveness and bitterness. Don’t live with the thought that you allowed the fear of failure to keep you from ever attempting the things God gave you the idea to do. Be the first to try! It would be very hard to find an old man on his death bed, who said he took too many chances, was too daring, and took too many risks. In fact, the opposite is true. May that never be said of you. Starting today Go For It and see what happens!
The Beginning of Wisdom
Let me be the first to bust a rhyme for this New Year and time. “Men you will win in 2010.” Here’s how, by taking advice from the wisest man to ever live, King Solomon. Proverbs 1:7” The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge;” He goes on to farther describe the Fear of the Lord in Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil;” Do you hate evil? Do you hate evil and sin in YOU? Lust is not a little white sin, it’s a sin against a Holy God. Pride is not a little oops of a sin, it’s a sin against a Holy God. If you fear a Holy God you will sin a lot less. So I ask again “Do you hate evil and sin.” If you don’t you are missing the very foundation of Wisdom and Knowledge. This New Year build your life on the right foundation; “The Fear of the Lord.”
Welcome Message
Welcome to the “MAN TO MAN” blog. This weekly blog is for men who want to be like the ultimate man’s man: Jesus. My hope is that this blog will look you straight in the eyes and call something of Christ from deep within your masculine soul. This blog will encourage you, provoke you, and just plain kick your butt at times with the goal in mind of getting you to do those things you know you should but don’t want to do. True manhood and Christ- likeness, which happen to be the same thing, are learned behaviors; they don’t come naturally. By the grace of God, which divinely enables us, may we learn to become men after God’s own heart, who live as men of strength, meekness and humility. Join me, men, as we walk side by side as a band of brothers following our hero, Jesus.
