Responsibility of a Man

Originally I had only intentions of writing about the woman's side of this deal, but over the past two weeks I've come to the conclusion that I should write about the other half. Not only for those who view this blog, but also for myself, as I have found myself slipping from my responsibility.

The responsibility of a man is to lead.

I know that hurts to hear that, but it is his sole responsibility, as laid down by God. He is to lead the family. He is to have the role of leadership in society. I can be called sexist and biased, that's fine, God said if you're for what I say you'll be prosecuted, I'm okay with that. God meant for man to lead.

Back in Genesis, when Satan told Eve to take the bite of the fruit (it's not an apple...we don't know what it is), why did he go to Eve first? Wouldn't it be so much easier to get Adam first? Eve would've just done what he said then. Why did he go get Eve first? For one, he knew how God had chemically created Adam different from Eve and knew that Eve could use her ways to make Adam just go with it. But more importantly, it was because he wanted to begin a trend that would last throughout man's existence.

As men, we are not to let the role of leader in the home fall to the wayside for the wife to pick up. We shouldn't be at the point where we are giving up the role at all! Why do we get there? Why are we letting this be a problem in our society? Do we not believe we can lead? Are we afraid? Do we think we will lose what we love? Is that why we go with the woman again and again just like in the garden? Thinking that if we just go with her whatever happens will be alright because we're together. But did you ever stop and think what would have happened if Adam had not bitten into that apple?

Human nature pulls on us throughout our lives to return to the decisions made on that day in Eden. Whether we directly understand this or not we still act it all out day by day. Our nature as men is to let the problems we face fall to the wayside and let someone else take it upon themselves to do good.

In relationships, in marriage, in life, in family...we need to be men and lead.

Where I've been struggling recently in relationships is the how to lead. When a man takes his position as the leader and makes it look as if he is actually a confident sort of person, I might make a venture and say that's attractive. It is also our responsibility not to lead on girls in general, but to save ourselves for one, and one only. We should lead in purity, which will be hard, one because of our society, and two because our nature is to lead selfishly. In Eden, Adam fell because he did not want to be alone without his Eve.

Do you ever notice in relationships how it is so hard to do the actual break-up? I'm pretty sure you do, kind of a stupid question, but just notice it again now. Why? Why is it so hard to give up anyone, even when you understand fully that this person is a complete jerk? Why do you want to sacrifice to make it right? Because just like Adam, we think we will be alone forever. Not realizing that just on the other side of this is God, and His plan. It is our responsibility to fight against these human traits. If not for the one we love but as examples in this society that is so without any kind of good example.

Even at the price of being nerdy, even at the price of falling out with people you like...at the price of everything, be what God made you to be. Lead, be men. Real men. Not part man part woman. Be a man.

The responsibility of man is to lead His family according to the word of God.

One final note...ladies, when you get your man, do help him out, but don't take his job. He needs your support so badly. But he doesn't need you to be the man for him. These are large things to break in our culture. But God thought just One man was enough to do it for the entire world from beginning to end. We are nowhere near as good as that One, but He has called us to follow Him anyway. "Take up your cross and follow me..." Believe it or not, thems fightin' words.

Power of a Woman

Over the past week or two I've thought back to when I read two books: Paradise Lost and Wild at Heart. Both of them made an impression, but where the two of them link is in the explanation of our core reactions regardless of our own work against nature. The one I'd like to focus on in this post is the nature of a woman. I won't be going in depth, but rather I'd like to touch on a specific part of that nature. A responsibility.

In Paradise Lost you read how Lucifer rebels against God. "The cherub that covers," rebels against God thinking himself good enough to dethrone God. During the entire rebellion God could've twitched a finger and that would've been the end of Satan, but instead God allowed a war with Satan that ended in his expulsion. After the expulsion Satan realized another way to get at God was to get his creation to join the rebellion.

It's interesting how Satan worked right at the beginning. His normal tactic is to strike at the weakest link, in the context of Adam and Eve, Eve was the weakest of the two, made to be a helpmeet to Adam. Subservient and basically following like Adam would follow God. He put it into her mind and said, "You can be the leader," thus she became the leader into the fall. Satan's work was done.

Where I'm taking this post though is in the next move. Satan was done after Eve took the bite. He didn't stick around anymore, he doesn't come back into the picture at all until God talks about how the seed of Eve will crush his head. But Adam still falls. He sees Eve in her fallen state and is crushed...but the pull that God created in our nature to save the woman, to help her, to be her hero, takes hold of Adam and he decides that he would rather live in a fallen state for the rest of his life than live without Eve. Thus our human natures have come about as a result of the trend set at the fall.

This is not to direct fire at women who are working or that their real place is in the kitchen...I'm not like that. The discussion of men not leading though is a separate issue. I want to point out in this post that women have an unnatural pull on men, and they have a power over them in many contexts. Do not forget that you do, which I doubt that you will. But as with any power, there is responsibility, and an answering for with what you done with it.

Even in relationships now, where the thought of marriage perhaps has not even entered the discussions. Future life is not even an issue, the pull is still there. The way you dress, and the way you act around any guy can be harmful if you are loose in either category. On the other hand, modesty and seeking after God I think will take care of both, as well as score some pretty good points with the guys that are of real quality.

God made you the way you are...it's nothing to be afraid of, but it is something to watch for. Use discretion. You do more than you know when you're loose.

Innovation

What do you think would be considered moving in the Spirit? Does something spontaneous that someone says is spiritual count? I've had friends of mine begin to talk and link it together with "the Spirit." My question to you is, do you believe it is possible?

I know from my personal walk with Christ that when I step out in something Spiritual or if I'm making some sort of statement for him, I don't think about what I'm going to say that much, I just turn it over to Him. Do you believe in this?

When the disciples (which is different from apostles) of Jesus were in the room during Pentecost, do you think they were thinking about what they were doing? When they stepped out into the street, did they think? Another thing, how could they have spoken in all of those different tongues of the world if they were fully in control of their body? Do you believe in this?

When God opened up the heavens and let it rain uncontrollably during the flood and the fountains of the deep burst forth. Did Noah think? Was he like, "Boy am I glad I listened." Or did he just do what God told Him to. His decision changed the world. He believed in God, he had a relationship with God that was strong enough to convince him to take 150 years of his life to build a boat. Considering no one today ever lives past 110, and the average we live to is about 80, would you give up two lifetimes to build a boat that "God" told you to build while all of your neighbors and friends stood around and laughed about it? Do you believe in a God like this?

Is God spontaneous? Hmm... God is eternal, when did He decide to create us? In the beginning... but before that He didn't, but He still was there. Do you think, even when He knew what He was getting into, that "the beginning" was spontaneous? It was a part of His plan, but when you have eternity to do something you don't live by the calendar. He's a risk taker for sure, and He doesn't do things by the book. Esther? Rahab? Joseph and Mary nobody from Galilee? Do you believe God knows what He's doing?

Do you love God? Do you love Him enough to give your life for Him like He gave His son for you? No matter when you die, perhaps tomorrow? Do you love Him better than you think you'll love your future mate? I know that when I get married I'm going to have a love gush out that I've reserved for a long time. Does God deserve a love better than this? Would you stand up for Him? Would you be a Peter? A Noah? Esther? God is spontaneous, and the question is do you believe in Him without question.

You will have people in your life that question life itself, God included. Sometimes these will be dear friends that don't wait to talk to you alone. A human that doesn't believe in his stance will always seek the safety of numbers. Do you believe in God enough to stand up like Noah and say, "there is an end coming, much greater than the flood. And when I go to my father in heaven and sing 'to God be the glory' I don't want you to be singing 'the harvest is over and I'm not saved'." God gives you an entire life to accept Him, and from that point in your life He gives you each and every day to gather as many as you can to come with you. "For every thousand roads leading to Hell, there's not one road out."

Do you believe in a Spiritual realm that you can enter and take hold of? Do you believe that you can be a huge part of God's plan for this world? Do you believe that up until this day God has everything under control and that He is working things out for His glory and the salvation of his creation? Do you believe Him? The Spirit is spontaneous, and indeed very nerve racking to be in, but if you believe in God, love Him with a passion to leave behind the one with your mate, being in that Spirit is just another way to show your love to the world.

What do you believe?

Would you like some Soul with your Tea?

-excerpts from “A Dissertation of the traveling teacup”

“Normally people have three walks of life, and they seem to chose this walk of life right around the mid-point between their being a teenager and an graduated adult. I specify ‘graduated adult’ from ‘adult’ because I cannot honestly say that those some consider to be adults are any better than a three year old child. Yet the most important decision in life can readily be seen becoming cemented around age 15-17.

The three paths in life are as follows, and are very basic to the point of many people overlooking their importance altogether: extreme (or exotic), normal, or wasteful. The first is what I’d rather speak on, as it is the life of my own choice, but then again I find it might be more helpful to talk on the other two in context of the first, even though I might be less knowledgeable on the latter two.

A normal life by the account of Americans is one where you spend thirteen years in a school or number of schools to which will be added a further 5 years (on average), of advanced schooling. On the whole, the majority of those coming out of this 18 year transformation would’ve been no more educated than had they quit school at grade 8. After said advanced schooling, a trade is taken up to which a person will limit themselves to until they are to the age where usefulness is seemingly a thing of the past. There they will sit and drink tea, much as I’m doing now, until they are carted off to a nursing care until they have expelled their years of unusefulness. Throughout this period you might easily categorize the vast majority of these people to be ‘wishful thinkers,’ thinking upon times gone by and upon things they might have done.

The wasteful life is one which I may prove to have the least knowledge of, for even in my own wasteful times, I can very well say that myself as a person was not bent upon such an end. But it is indeed quite possible that those who are indeed wasteful are actually people who somehow believe themselves to have an exotic life without having to work for one nor benefit from one. These are the types who look for all sorts of alternatives to life, such as drugs and alcohol to name a few. But then there are also extremes that actually believe their own wastefulness and seek to end their life, and supposed suffering. Now this is not to say there are those who do not have legitamite problems, that can indeed be named suffering. But this is not to say that these kinds of people cannot adopt a different nature and succeed despite their background. In short, a wasteful life is either one who ignores their wastefulness and doesn’t seek to change their life, or they embrace it whole-heartedly to the point of self-detriment.

An exotic life then is simply the changing of ones attitude, and not something that depends upon circumstances.

For instance…consider those who have come before myself. One such young man being a cripple. He wished to become a potter. His upbringing, a very poor one and not at all meriting such a person as he came out to be. But knowing himself that he had a God-given talent for pottery much as someone else in our own age has a talent for singing, he then undertook any study he could to come up with his own desired end. He did not expect his parents to believe he would become a world-famous potter, he simply enjoyed the art and sought to do his best in that which he loved himself.

Life then might be likened to a cup of tea. Each kind of man likes the cup of tea his own way. I like mine with a bit of soul in it, so I find tea from those who enjoy making it the most and put a good effort into it. I might pay a bit more for it, but I enjoy my cup of tea much more because I like tea more than an average man. Same with life, I might be one to expect more out of it, because as I said, my attitude is not to accept normality and/or a wasteful life. In this way I believe more men might very well be able to live as I do, only they choose not to at a very young age and then grow up not believing it possible.

I would ask them ‘why not?’ But I doubt they could prove their innocence any more than I can prove that I enjoy my cup of tea any more than the man beside me.”

-excerpts from “A dissertation of the traveling teacup”

One thing the funeral missed...

Perhaps it's just me, or perhaps it's the fact that I talked to Josh about this during the summer when we worked together. But I think the funeral was far too focused on sorrow. I realize that people need to work out their sorrows, but one thing that Josh and I had both talked about was how we wanted people to keep going with their lives after we're done. He and I both agreed that we wanted to be remembered for how much we could praise God, but we didn't want people to be stuck on remembering.

One thing they missed in the funeral is how to continue after our grief. He never wanted it to be any more than a little while. It's odd now looking back on how we joked about it, unknowing what would happen. But I know that he was as sincere about this as I was. I can't remember the exact week he said it, but I know we were talking about it as a result of chapel on the east side of Camp Barakel.

We agreed that we wanted our funerals to be more of a happy occasion. Grieve for a bit, and then go on and praise God all that much more. So many paths will come into our own, and so many will also leave. That's a given in life, but it's what we do to praise God with our own lives that makes all the difference. Josh and I agreed on this in the knowledge that we would both live on for a long time. I doubt he would mean this any less even considering now.

Next Step

I apologize for this being later than the last two. These past couple of weeks have not been easy for me as far as thinking goes. I've been thinking so much about what I should do next that it's like everything I think to say somehow just isn't doing it right.

Living as a true Christian for God is more than something to say. As a Christian we mean more than the average person, or at least we should. If there's ever something within the body that is needed it's people who are willing to stand up to their peers, Christian and non-Christian alike, and speak the truth of God. And on that note, I know of many who think that Christian's "these days" are not as they should be. Another thing I think we need in the body is people to stand in the gap where they say Christians are slacking.

My personal pet peeve and calling is in Stories. I believe Christians have missed their mark completely in that field. But that's me...how many fields are out there where we all have been gifted by God to do something and can affect real change. I can get all fired up and talk about how in writing Christians aren't doing so hot, but what about in the field of computer games? What about in the field of nursing? Teaching? Sports? Where are we? Even as the next generation, where are we going?

The first two posts I find were best to remember Josh and how he touched us. I knew him well enough to say that reminiscing about his life over and over again would not be what he would want. This is not to say I will stop writing. I will continue until there is no one left to listen, and then I will continue to speak so more. But I know Josh would be more concerned with, how are we going out and effecting the world with what we know now. Especially about the fragility of life. Are we eternity focused?

Real Life

I've read a lot of different memories of Josh over the past 48 hours, and so many of them speak of how much he was fun and great to be around. It's because he had real life in him. Tomorrow didn't really matter, it was enjoying today that had to be done. Moment to moment he looked for places to spread fun and joy.

I remember when we had hours to kill after a special night eating pizza, we decided to go take care of a hornets nest. We needed hornet spray of course. Luckily I had just found out where the spare key was to this little area we had to get into. Long story short, we set off an alarm, ran out of the building and five minutes later we were being chased around the woodyard by six or seven vehicles who were trying to locate whoever had set off the alarm. We were never caught, and we laughed about it the entire rest of the week. We had so much fun. Life was a blast.

Can we say the same about ourselves when we wake up morning to morning? Can we go from moment to moment with such an outlook in life?

I know that the whole point of Josh being in our lives is not to give us an example to become like. I know that our best example in life is Jesus Christ, but I also know that Josh had something that most people (including me) just don't have much of. This is a true love for life in that each moment is another opportunity to impact eternity.

Josh and I had good times together. He had good times with everyone, but it was he who made it fun. Moment by moment he showed us what true life was inside. Should we not also focus on what others see when they see us? If we say we're Christian will they inwardly roll their eyes and say "I figured as much," or will they walk away from the meeting impacted by what they saw in you. It's not about Josh's sense of humor, or even how he talked, it's a common thing that we all need to have more of. A true love for real living in God.

How many can you see around you that are dead but still on their feet?

Tomorrow

It's never an easy thing. Dealing with yesterday, knowing that you still have to live through tomorrow. Knowing that after today you'll still have yesterday's pain. There's no remedy for the pain if you don't already know the true peace in life.

We know that Josh Schrauger would not be happy if someone lost their faith because he lost his life. I remember us agreeing that in death we would want our lives remembered in joy, because we know where we're going. Like something Tom Harmon would say, we just live in a carcass, the real life is when we get to heaven. Josh would want us to continue living for God in this, not questioning His goodness.

Tomorrow is another day we can live for God. Josh was a light in this world that has now gone out. I want to remember his light, his fire, by lighting other fires in other people. By helping others out so that they can have the hope of eternity just like Josh is now in. He has eternity, and he died a couple days ago, but how many people will die every day that we should truly weep for because they will never have the hope of eternity with Christ.

Don't forget Josh. Don't forget how much life he had, and how much he gave to others. We should continue in his stead...