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.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
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?
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?
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