More About Men

I last wrote - far too long ago - asking "Where Are All the Men?" I was frustrated at the time and that feeling hasn't gone away. But I'm not frustrated because of the lack of men, I'm frustrated because of the two reasons I believe there are no men.

First, the enemy has convinced believers that the entire purpose of Christ's death and resurrection was forgiveness and reconciliation. We've been lulled into a self-satisfying waiting game believing that we've been given eternal life with God – a life that begins when we die or when Christ makes his triumphant return. Don't get me wrong, this is indeed an important part of Jesus' victorious resurrection, but it is only a half truth.

Second, the enemy has crafted a desirable set of counterfeit objectives for men (and women) to live for. Well, let me rephrase this second point. My REAL frustration is that we – believers – have missed the truths behind these counterfeits. Aghast at a Victoria's Secret commercial, we teach that seduction is bad. Misunderstanding the motivations of a Donald Trump, we teach that wealth and success are bad. And don't even get me started with our love/hate relationship with sports.

We must see through these lies if we want men and what they can bring. We must believe that beyond salvation, Christ's mission was one of restoration. Restoration to LIFE – and a power filled life at that. A life meant to be lived, explored, molded, crafted and expanded. A life meant to be acted upon and fought for. And we must see that the waiting game lie and the counterfeit objectives are the enemies of this age and our very lives are the way we defeat them.

Marriage isn't simply a commitment for life; it is supposed to be a passion filled relationship full of growth, excitement and adventure. It is the earthly, source of power and encouragement for all that a man and woman can do. Parenting isn't just about teaching children wrong from right; it is the foundation on which civilization rests. Work isn't for food and shelter; it's for inventions, solutions, employment and wealth – for the worker, the community, the nation and the world. And Christ didn't come just for salvation; He came to give life to people He needs for History.
There is no such thing as man who doesn't matter and there is nothing more important and desperately needed than a man boldly living a Christian life.