Not just a "human" or a "person" but a "man." Obviously, this post is not for the ladies and girls who may stop by: you should not be men.
1. Rejoice in what you have been given.
If God made you a man, rejoice! It is a great blessing to be a man. Men are blessed with greater physical and emotional strength and greater intellect. Men are better thinkers and protectors and men make better governors. You may be equal in the eyes of the law, but in many real and important ways, you are not equal.
2. Be aware of your weaknesses.
If God made you a man, beware! There is great temptation in being a man. Men are more prone to violence, to sexual sin, and to abuse of substances than women. The testosterone that makes men strong can also tempt men to be inappropriately violent and unnecessarily aggressive. The wisdom God gives man can make men vain. Men's nature seems more prone to turning to alcohol and other things God has provided to be used moderately and to abuse such things. Men also can have great weakness when it comes to overactive sexual desire.
3. Take appropriate steps to control your weaknesses.
If you find that you are prone to abuse substances, find a man or men who you know are stronger in this regard, and enlist their aid and support. Friends support one another. If you find that you are violent exercise self-discipline. Remember that sometimes it takes more strength to control yourself than to control those around you. If you burn with sexual desire, marry. If you are vain, keep a catalog of your mistakes to remind yourself.
4. Take appropriate measures to enhance your strengths.
Exercise. Study. Protect the weak. Defend the truth. Find godly examples of men to emulate. Hopefully such men are your elders, but whether or not God has blessed you with such elders, you can look to the men of Scripture.
5. Use your strengths to God's glory
If God has called you to dig ditches, do so with your might and to the glory of God. If God has called you to be a judge, administer justice appropriately, not taking bribes. If God has called you to be a soldier follow your vocation and profession honestly and with attention to God's law. If God has called you to the ministry, minister eagerly to the flock of Christ. If God has called you to be the head of a wife, love your wife as Christ loves the church. If God blesses you with a family by that wife, be a loving father raising your children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
May God give Christian men grace and courage to act like men,
-Turretinfan
Sunday, February 10, 2008
1 comment:
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10. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you; and abstain from doing to others what you would not wish upon yourself.
As with all things God and good, I will add one thing more to these truisms.
ReplyDeleteIt takes both God and a man to make a man.
It seems we have lost this truth in some circles as some men I know are more feminine and masculine.
Hmmmmm?
I am grateful for my father, my Dad and my friend. I am not so happy with myself that it became clearer and more keen a sense to me after he died than while we were being friends and Dad and son! It was quite amazing to me what a friend my Dad was to me moments after I arrived to find him to have passed on!
I now have two sons and most of the primary values I go too are the ones my Dad brought me too!
Thanks Dad!
Thank you God for the Dad like I had!!