Heart Surgen

Have you ever been injured? Not just hurt or banged up, but really injured? The kind of injury that makes you put your active life on hold. This past winter I was playing basketball when a reoccurring injury happened to me again. I dislocated my patella after having rebounded the ball. (And it was an amazing rebound, if I do say so myself.) I have dislocated my patella in varying degrees of severity about four times since I was a freshman in high school. Every time this happens to me I wind up laying on the ground writhing in pain, and it is not uncommon for me to scream and yell (sometimes cry) like a girl. This time was no different in that respect. Just as it had in the past, along with the pain came some internal damage to the knee joint. This time doctors were confident that with some physical therapy to strengthen the muscles I would be good to go in a few months. After a few months of intense therapy, it did look like my leg was back to normal. I had full range of motion and my muscles looked pretty even. I’ll admit that it looked good from the outside. However, deep inside I could tell something wasn’t right. Something else was hindering a full recovery. The doctor finally agreed with me and took a look inside and found some areas that needed cleaned up.

It dawned on me the other day that I, along with most men, treat my failings and short comings in life the same way. When we stumble in our walk or fall into a sin, we often  assume a few exercises is all we’ll need to make our behavior stronger. We’re men, after all, we can tough it out and will ourselves back to better behavior. The problem I have found with this attitude and approach is that even if we are able to change and function in a “good enough” manner, we are still damaged and injured people on the inside. No matter how good we get on the outside we will always be held back by the issues under the surface.

To fully fix the root of my knee injury, I needed a surgeon to dig in and clean up the inside of my knee. I had arthroscopic surgery to remove a couple large pieces of cartilage, repair the torn meniscus and perform a lateral release of the patella. The knee joint swelled to nearly three centimeters larger in diameter. I was in intense pain and needed major pain killers to function.  However, I could tell immediately that the joint was much smoother and my knee was moving correctly. In the long run, I will be much better off for having a trusted doctor go inside my joint and clean the garbage out.

Similarly, to fully fix the damage in our hearts, we need someone willing to dig into our lives and hold us accountable. My problem, like most men, is finding that true friend to share life with. However, it is vital to my overall health as a father, husband, employee and man. I hope you are looking for this accountability in your life, too.

Abandoned?

Remember the movie Cast Away? Tom Hanks’ Character has been in a plane crash and is the only survivor stranded on a tropical island. Eventually, he finds a volleyball that washed up to shore from the wreckage. The ball, through a random course of events, becomes his only companion, Wilson. He is able to keep his sanity by talking through his troubles and fears with Wilson. At one point in the movie Wilson is swept out to sea and Tom Hanks’ character freaks out with the sudden realization he’s all alone on this island. He has no one to talk to; no one to share his plight with. The only “person” he has been able to talk to for years is now gone. The impact of being truly alone nearly crushes his sanity.

The other day I felt a little like Tom Hanks; alone on an island. I had recently received a short rash of bad news, and I was looking for someone to talk to. I picked up my phone and started going down the list of friends. Not a single one picked up their phone when I called. It seemed that I was all alone. Like all negative thoughts do, this feeling seemed to escalate. It quickly jumped from, “What a bummer I don’t have a buddy that can talk right now.” to “Man I am completely alone on this planet. I don’t have a single friend. Has God even abandoned me?” Have you ever felt this way? I knew it was completely irrational, but that’s how I felt.

After about three days of this, I read something in my daily bible written by David in Psalm 22. The Psalm is written as a song, that starts with, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” This was exactly how I was feeling. I read through the rest of the song and it seemed to say exactly what my heart was feeling. When I was finished reading the song I realized it was also a prophetic Psalm, meaning that David wrote about things that would happen to Christ. For example, the last line of the Psalm reads, “They divide my garments among themselves and throw dice for my clothing.” This is one of the things that happened to Jesus while he was on the Cross. These prophetic lines, along with the opening line of the Psalm, got me thinking about my aloneness in a different perspective.

I knew God was telling me that no matter how I feel, I am NOT alone. Look at the life of David. This man who had such a longing for knowing God that he was called ‘a man after God’s own heart.’ This man must have known God’s presence. Yet at times, even he felt alone enough to cry out “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” Then there’s the situation with Jesus himself. Clearly he felt the presence of God in his life at all times. Surely he felt intimate with God in ways that I can only imagine. Yet, in the darkest hour of his life he cries the same words, “MY GOD, MY GOD why have you forsaken me!” These two men, as close to God as they were, still had times in their lives where they felt abandoned by God.

This knowledge gave me an objective view of my own situation. I was not being chased by a kings army wanting to kill me like David was. I was not being crucified for the sins of all mankind and facing hell on the other side of death like Jesus. I was simply struggling with life not going the way I would have liked. Even in my trivial experiences, though, it dawned on me that the times of feeling abandoned are, like with David and Jesus, necessary for the completion of God’s plan in our lives. He is guiding us through these situations to further develop our character and deepen our relationship. There are good times to come. Losing Wilson forced Tom Hanks’ character to get off the island, which led to his rescue. David became one of the greatest kings Israel has ever known. Jesus was raised from his death saving all mankind from their sin and then went back to heaven to reign over heaven and earth with God. Those times when we feel furthest from God seem to be the dark before the dawn of times we feel closest to Him.

Daddy Moments

It was a moment, a moment that I hope will change my children’s lives. It was a simple moment. It was a moment that I could have easily let slip away. I was on the couch reading when my daughter came into the room in the way that only 2 year old girls can. As she ran into the room she sang very loudly, “Watch me do flips, Daddy. Watch me do flips, Daddy.” My first reaction was to explain to her that I was busy reading and that I could watch her later. Instead, I dropped my book and turned my full attention to her. I watched her attempt somersaults about three times. I then told her what a wonderful job she was doing at ‘flipping.’ At that point, I thought the moment was over. I was wrong. She seemed to be addicted to my attention. The more I watched, the more flips she wanted to do, and the more flips she did, the more I was supposed to watch. After about the fifth series of flips I wanted to get back to my book, however, something inside me knew I was supposed to watch her until she was done; giving her all the attention and support she could handle. So, I did. 

In that moment I felt the Holy Spirt telling me this is what my kids need most from me. They need my full attention in the little moments. I need to give them my undivided attention even when what they want me to watch are poor attempts at somersaults. They need to see they are the highest priority in my life. All of the little things in life that steal my moments can be put on hold. So many times I have dismissed what my kids were showing me. I have half-heartedly shown an interest in a drawing or a color page or distractedly praised the lego car they made. In that moment I was convicted of this attitude. 

This “ah-ha” moment motivated me to change. I know God has called me to be a father to my children not just in the big moments in life, but in the little moments, too. I have to admit that I’ve been failing. My prayer is that, like me, you will take the time to let go of distractions in your life and grab hold of those moments with your kids. 

Walls of Character

The other day I was building a retaining wall to support a parking pad off the side of my garage. I decided to try and find some Hedge tree fence posts for the structure of the retaining wall. Hedge is known for its ability to withstand rotting for a very long period of time.  I found a large tree on a friend’s property that I could use. Just cutting the wood took me a couple days separated by a couple months and a few minor repairs to my chain saw. Eventually, I had the proper number of fence posts ready to go. I then began the even more labor intensive task of actually building the retaining wall. The wall didn’t have to be very high; only a couple feet at the highest point. I did, however, have to set the main support posts deep into the ground in order to ensure my wall would hold the weight of dirt, gravel and any vehicle. 

As I was building this wall in the 95 degree heat, a thought occurred to me. This wall is like my character and my manhood. As I thought about it more, I drew a connection between building a wall to last and building my character to last. I was sweating to death in the heat, digging deep into hard soil and I just wanted it to get done! I wanted to start taking short cuts. I wanted to stop digging the post holes so deep. I wanted the wall to be done now.

In the same way, I want my character to be built now. I want to be that great man now! 

As I was finishing the wall I felt like God was telling me that it takes time and hard work to build character that lasts. In the end though, that character, like a well built wall, will withstand more than character built on short-sided wants. God is building me to last. This brought encouragement to my heart and my aching body. I think that the Holy Spirit builds all of us like this. It takes time, it takes work, it takes pain and some days you want to take short cuts. However, the Holy Sprit and our God has a great plan for our lives, our manhood and our character. If we will let him build us up with the proper mix of materials, depth of faith and trust in his plan, then in his timing we will be men of God that can withstand any weight that is pressed against us.

Action or Inaction: That is the ?

It occurred to me the other day after another lapse of sin in my life, that as we are living our lives we generally are not trapped by our actions, but rather by our inaction. For example, when we struggle with a sin or a short fall in our lives we look at it like “man why do I keep committing this sin”? I have noticed that in my life my lapses come from not what sin I am acting on, but rather what actions in Christ I am not taking. 

Let me explain. Lets say that I struggle with anger in my life. I have a problem with blowing up at my kids and my wife over little things that happen around the house. Or if I don’t blow up, I say mean resentful comments to those I love when I feel they haven’t performed the way I think they should. Well you and I both agree that I should learn to control my anger I should not be lashing out at my family. That is not how Christ would want me to interact with my family. However, I would say that my biggest short fall is in what I don’t do and not what I do. If I was to run to Christ and pray for protection and seek his peace for my life constantly through out the day I would not struggle to keep my anger in check. If I was to take action when I knew the attacks from the enemy were at their highest I would be more successful at interacting with my family in loving ways. 

However instead of constantly engaging with Christ what I find myself and I am sure you find yourself doing is maybe praying in the morning before the day starts and then never giving another thought about my spiritual life throughout the day. I give into inaction, we all do. We have fallen again through our lack of acting and engaging constantly throughout the day. We have to be on high alert all day everyday if we are to keep ourselves in check and tuned in to the Spirit of God. I know the battle is not easy, but victory is worth every last fight. Victory over an enemy that would love nothing more than for us than to live lives of apathy and continual separation from God’s plan and will for our lives. You can fight, you  can win, you can engage in your spirituality daily. 

All it takes is to be listening for the enemy trying to tempt you. When you hear or see it, don’t just listen or give in, fight back. In the name of Jesus, fight back, make him leave you alone. Then pray for the Holy Spirt to help you with the next attack. As the day goes on you will get quicker and quicker at recognizing the attacks and your defense will become faster and faster. You will gradually become a stronger man for your God, your family and your friends. Try it some day, try it tomorrow. See if yo don’t find yourself not being tripped up and distracted by the little things in life. 

Adrenaline Junkie

Since childhood, one of my favorite hobbies has been bike riding. As I grew older my bikes changed as well. I spent a of time enjoying the standard BMX bike and grew into loving mountain bikes. After college I even discovered an entirely new way to ride a mountain bike. During a family vacation to Whistler, British Columbia, Canada I discovered downhill and free-ride mountain biking. This form of mountain biking is a little different from regular mountain biking in that you are riding a bike with more suspension travel than most cars, and to ensure safety at high speeds the braking system consisting of hydraulic disc brakes are more modern and powerful that the brakes on my first truck. You might be wondering “Why would anyone need that kind of suspension and brakes on a mountain bike?” The answer would be...crazy people who enjoy taking the chair lifts of a ski resort to the top of the mountain and riding down the trails as fast as they possibly can. I became one of those people on that vacation. 

I have always been something of an adrenaline junkie. I love to push my limits of fear and mental focus. Participating in high speed and high risk “extreme” sports makes me feel like I am exploring and using the far reaches of my skills, abilities and talents. I have to be so focused on what I am doing that I am not distracted by what might go wrong. 

I was thinking about how this relates to my life spiritually; how this relates to my relationship with Christ. I was thinking,“Am I living my life like I ride my mountain bike? Am I treating my relationship with Christ like I ride my bike?” After a little reflection I realized that my answer was ‘no.’ I am not living my life or participating in my relationship with Christ like I ride my bike. I am not living in a relationship with Christ that pushes me to the edge of control. I am not living in a relationship that forces me to focus my heart on Christ so much that nothing else around me can bother my focus. I am not living in a relationship that takes me to the  extremes in a way that others look at me like I am crazy when I describe what I am doing for Christ.

The thing is, I think this is the type of relationship Christ wants us to have with Him. After pondering this a bit, I began to think about one of Jesus' parables.  It is known as the parable of the talents. Jesus tells a story of three servants that have been entrusted with a portion of their masters wealth. The master is going on a trip and wants the servants to take care of some of his money while he is gone. When the master returns from the trip he calls his servants to report what they have done with their portions of money. The first two servants have been taking risks with the money and have invested the it. Both of these servants were able to double the money entrusted to them. The master praises their skills and their willingness to take risk. The third servant decided that it was too much of a risk to invest; he was scared of what the master might do to him if he lost any of the money. He hides it in the ground for the duration of the master’s trip. The master in the story scolds the servant calling him wicked and lazy! To me, Jesus seems to be saying that we can’t just cruise through this life. We can’t get by without taking risks for the kingdom of heaven. We have to live a life and live in a relationship with him that involves risk. The cool thing about this is that when we focus our attention on Christ, just like bombing down a mountain on a bike, we are able to lean on our talents and we come out of this life with successful investments of each talent Christ entrusted us with.

The Matrix: The Strength To Fight

“I know you’re out there, I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of us, afraid of change. I don’t know the future, I didn’t come here to tell you how this was going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders and boundaries. A world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.” - Neo, from the Matrix.

This quote popped into my head the other day and it got me thinking. I was thinking about the Matrix movie and how it relates to real life. Before we come into a relationship with Christ we are like the people stuck in the Matrix. We are totally blind to the reality of our lives. Then, at some point someone comes along and reveals to us the nature of our lives; how there is freedom from the life that we are stuck living. In the movie, Neo is one such person who is presented with the option to know the truth about his circumstances or to stay within the fantasy world never knowing true freedom. After his choice, he comes to find out that there has been a prophecy about him and his life. It is said that he is “The One.” Neo struggles with what is perceived to be the “call” on his life to save the rest of the people of the known world. He is told that he is the only one who can save the people from the trap that is the Matrix. He feels torn between the need to rescue the other people in the Matrix and his own fears of not being good enough to be “The One.”

This seems to be the struggle that we all face, right? We all have insecurities and fears about our talents. I know I struggle with this every day. I struggle with knowing who I am, what my lot in life is and whether I am making a difference in the world. Mostly, I struggle with knowing whether or not I am doing what Jesus wants me to do. Am I being the person that Jesus wants me to be? I want to be like Neo. I want to find the strength to dodge bullets, fight off five bad guys at a time and not be afraid of the enemy that is controlling my friends and family. I want to be that guy. I want to be the hero in the story of my life. I feel to this point I haven’t even come close. I feel like the Neo who first entered the Matrix and had to be rescued from death...by a girl. I think about what it will take to step up and save the lives and souls of those around me and it scares me a little. This fear almost makes me want to go back to the life I was living...the one in the gel filled tubes and living a mindless existence. 

Just when I have almost given into these feelings I hear a small voice, the same voice that is talking to all of us, saying, “I will give you strength...you can do this.” I feel Jesus calling us. He is calling us to rely on him to calm our fears; to strengthen our weaknesses. He can and will transform our lives. He will give us the strength to stay in the fight and the confidence to call out to our enemies like Neo. The great thing about this transformation is how it happens. It is a transformation that happens through simply being in His presence. It happens through nothing that we do ourselves, but rather through hearing God teach us where we need to rely on Him for strength. This, to me, is the greatness, the awesomeness and even the beauty of knowing Christ. Being with Christ today and tomorrow means He is working in me. He is working in you, too. He gives us the strength to be like Neo. We can dodge bullets, defeat any bad guy who stands in our way and, maybe, even fly...we just have to let go and let him use us.   

Letting Go: Finding Relationship with Christ

Lately, I have been thinking about and hearing Christ speak to me about his disciples. I have been admiring and reflecting on how Christ accepted them and invited them into relationship just the way they were. I think of how the first disciples were mere fishermen. Fishermen today are a tough bunch of guys, they talk tough, drink hard and work harder. They are hard men making a tough living. These are not typically the kind of guys you would find in our churches today. I also think about Luke, a tax collector. He, too, was called to follow Jesus just as he was. The tax collector image today doesn’t have nearly the negative connotation that it did in Jesus’ day. It seems that ambulance chasing lawyers are a better picture of how the tax collectors were thought of. Jesus didn’t ask these guys to take inventory of the sin in their lives and then pray the sinner’s prayer before allowing them into relationship. He simply said, “Follow me.” In other words, live with me and I will show you how rich life can be. It was through a relationship with Jesus, spending time with him and listening to him speak that the disciples came to be the great men of faith that we know them as.

This revelation has challenged me to look at the way I approach my walk with Christ. Until recently, I have been treating my relationship with Christ like a list of do’s and don’ts. I have been caught up in trying to be close to Christ through forcing prayer time and forcing reading time. I have attempted to live up to an expectation for my walk with Christ. I only recently have given up those expectations of what a “good” or “healthy” Christianity looks like. I have resolved to simply have a relationship with Christ. I have resolved to simply talk with him, have him lead me and have him show me and tell me what he wants me to hear. This has made all the difference in my life. I have felt an amazing sense of relief; a freedom to be who I am in the presence of Jesus. The intimacy I have with Christ has increased tenfold.

The amazing and mildly ironic thing about all of this is that I have reached this point of relationship by letting go of expectations rather than accepting them. It has only been the act of letting go of my expectations of what a healthy relationship with Christ looks like that I actually reached a healthy relationship with Christ. I now look forward to getting up early enough to have an hour of alone time with Christ. I feel like I can’t stop reading the Bible or books about Jesus. I have found this to be refreshing and embarrassingly simple. I challenge you to let go. Let go of your expectations and ideas of what a “healthy” relationship with Christ is supposed to look like. Let go and simply follow him. Stop talking… listen… hear from him.

Being With God: Just Be

The other day I was reading my Bible and having quiet time when something happened that changed my view of my relationship with God. I had been up since 6:00, started a pot of coffee and finished reading the daily One Year Bible readings. I had also just finished reading a chapter in Walking with God by John Eldredge. After I was finished reading I started my typical prayer time of sitting in the quiet listening for God to speak to me about the day and my life. I had just started praying when I heard my son’s footsteps coming up the stairs. This is my son that wakes up with a burst of energy and ready for the day. My immediate thought was, “Great, there goes my quiet prayer time.” Then another thought came to my head, “What if I invite him to participate with me.” So, I invited him to come over and sit on my lap. I told him that I was just about to pray for a bit and invited him to pray with me. It was great; we sat and prayed silently together for a few minutes. Just a few minutes praying together in the morning felt right…it felt good… it was a feeling that I had never felt before as a parent. After we prayed together he sat on my lap for a few more minutes and we simply sat together…talked together…were together. We didn’t converse in a very profound way; we simply talked about the day and about the things that he was excited about. I was able to give him my opinions on a few things. Nothing monumental happened. It was just felt right being together in the quiet morning and hearing him express his excitement about his life to me.




It wasn’t until later that it dawned on me that this must be what God meant for our relationship with him to be like: simple, relaxed, intimate, personal, real, honest and daily. James was simply being with his dad; I was simply being with my son. We weren’t following some ten step check list on how to know each other better. I simply invited him into my presence, onto my lap and we were together. I think of Adam and his relationship with God. The account in Genesis 3 says that Adam and Eve heard God walking in the garden. Verse 9 says “Then the Lord God called to the man ‘Where are you?’” God was not just walking in the garden looking for Adam; he was calling for him inviting him to walk with him. After the tragedy of the fall and sin the ability for true relationship was broken until Jesus came to earth and died, as a sacrifice, to restore that relationship. In the book of John Jesus prays for all believers, that we would be intimate with him as he is intimate with the Father. This intimacy comes from just being in his presence, not through rules, not through doing the right thing, not through acting like you are good enough to be a friend of God. To restore our relationship with God we start by simply entering the presence of God. Enter his presence, curl up on his lap, talk. Tell him what makes you excited, nervous, scared and moved. Then wait. Continue to stay in his presence and listen for his response. You may feel something that you have never felt before. You will feel a deep intimacy with a Father that knows you and loves you with all that he has.

Manhood and Guns 4 of 4: God's S.W.A.T.

I would contest that God created our manhood to be used everyday. We shouldn’t be absent. We aren’t meant to be empty men walking around on display. Our power shouldn’t be destructive. I believe that God is calling all men to carry their manhood like those guns carried by the police or military personnel. If you think about it, this is the ultimate purpose for all guns, right? Guns should be used in the hands of a trained operator who knows when to pull it out and is confident about when and how to use it. I am not a huge reader, I know some guys who read nearly 20 books a year, I am lucky to get through four. When I do read a book I like action and suspense. Recently, I read the book “House to House” by SSG David Bellavia. It is a first hand account of a group of soldiers who were among the first to enter the city of Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom. One thing that amazed me about some of the fire fights that they were involved in is how every man in the platoon had a specific gun. He was trained better than anyone else in the platoon on how to use his weapon. At one point in the take over of Baghdad the platoon is pinned to a roof top in the middle of the city. At dawn a huge fire fight breaks out with nearly every rooftop around them covered with insurgents. The Sergeant, David Bellavia, has to direct his men like a conductor directs a symphony. He had to order the Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) to fire one direction, while ordering the PKM in the other direction, simultaneously directing the AT4 (an anti tank weapon) to fire in other precise locations. These men trained for years with these weapons, they knew how to use them and when to use them. When they all used them as their sergeant directed they survived even brutal direct fire from the enemy. The fire fight lasted for nearly and en entire 24 hours. At times the incoming fire and counter fire was so intense that men could not stop shooting even to go to the bathroom. Most men in the platoon had to relive themselves right where they stood. This is the picture of manhood that I see when guys use it properly. They are intimate with their weapons; they know the ins and outs of their manhood. They have spent time understanding how God has designed them and know what their specific purpose in this life is. Most of all, they use their manhood when and where it is most needed and never let up. Even when distractions come, their manhood is so focused on protecting the ones around them that personal needs and desires are ignored. Sometimes this costs them comfort and dignity. This is the manhood that Christ has called us to. I believe that Christ describes this in Matthew 10. Jesus tells us some very hard things to hear starting in verse. 28:


28 “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[j] 29 What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin[k]? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. 30 And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows.

32 “Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.

34 “Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword.

35 ‘I have come to set a man against his father,

a daughter against her mother,

and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36 Your enemies will be right in your own household!’[l]

37 “If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. 38 If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. 39 If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.

Jesus tells us that God our Father loves us more than we can imagine; that God our Father made us perfectly the way that we are. WE ARE SPECIAL! But in the same passage Jesus tells us to BEWARE! There is something bigger going on in this world. He came to not bring peace but a sword…If you don’t take up your cross and follow him you are not worthy of being his. I believe Jesus is telling us, “Beware! I gave you special talents, special skills; I made you and your manhood. You have to submit them to me and let me show you how to use them right. I will train you. This fight is not easy; it pits brother against brother, father against son.” When we do submit our manhood to Jesus by taking up our cross he will give us life and we will have life eternal!

Think about this, how can we take up our cross with our manhood? This week ask Jesus to show you. Beware of areas in your life where you need to “take up your cross” and grab hold of the gun, the manhood that God gave you. If you have been using your manhood as a destructive tool, give that up to Christ, lay that at the cross. He will show you how to use your manhood properly. He will train you to use your weapon properly. If you have been afraid to use your manhood, Jesus will give you the strength to pick it back up. Dig that gun from the closet and learn to use it again. If you have been abusing your manhood, Jesus can help you with that as well. Jesus told us before he left the earth that he was sending us his Holy Spirit to help us. The Holy Spirit can give us the strength to change the way we use our manhood. Our manhood, when used correctly, can save lives, protect the innocent, rescue our families, and restore the kingdom. So our challenge as men is to pick up our cross by picking up our manhood. I pray that God, through the Holy Spirit and the power of Christ, will show you how to pick up your gun and use it properly.

Men and Guns 3 of 4: Loose Cannons

The third way that men use their manhood is likened to the gun or gun user that is destructive. Lately there have been accounts of professional athletes packing heat. One guy even brought his guns to work, in the locker room! I am constantly hearing of crazy shootings in the inner city, as well. Just yesterday a man was working on clearing the roads in Kansas City in a snowplow. He had been working for a long time and decided to take a break. While he was sitting in his parked snowplow taking a break some guy drove up, pulled his gun and shot him dead. What? Are you serious? Is this how some men feel they have to act to be “real” men; does offing people at random show that we are tough? I know men who do this with their manhood as well. They intimidate people for no reason. They drive like maniacs just so that the guy behind them won’t “beat” them in the race down the highway to work. They blow up at their kids when there is discipline to be dealt. They hurl insults at the ones they love because they have to “protect” their emotions. They have to destroy others to feel like a man. This, too, is no way for a man to live and use the manhood that God created for him. This is a serious lie that Satan has told many of us, or has convinced us is the truth about ourselves. God has a better plan for our manhood.

Men and Guns 2 of 4: Man without purpose

One common use of a guy’s manhood is the absent manhood. He keeps his gun hidden and never takes it out of the closet. Just like the gun is absent, so is his manhood. A lot of guys I know understand the power of their lives and their manhood, but they are too scared to let it out. They are like the guns that never see the light of day. Because this man is so scared of what might happen when the gun is used he never touches it and keeps it hidden in the back of his closet or in a safe. There are lots of reasons this can happen. He may have had a man “blast” him as a child and thus turned away from his manhood ever since. Some men made vows to themselves to never use there manhood like their father did. The problem with this is they don’t use it at all. They keep it locked up and stored away, scared of what might happen if it sees the light of day. This is no way for us to live. If we are to live the life that Christ has called us to then we have to face our manhood and embrace it, use it, take it from the closet and begin to understand how it works. Be cautious at this point, though. It’s easy to begin to use manhood the way we’ve been taught. If your past was a bad example of manhood then you need to recognize the changes that you’ll need to make. With the help of Christ you can be a man unlike your past examples. You can be a positive role model of manhood for your children.


As I also stated before, there are men who treat their manhood like an empty gun. These guns are on display, they look real, they feel real, and they can be intimidating. However, when push comes to shove, the chamber is empty. These guys are the ones you see living the life of macho men. You know the type. He watches sports all weekend, he drives the car or truck he can’t afford, he owns the biggest boat on the block. He feels macho and manly because of what he has and can show to others. This guy is just like that unloaded gun. There is no power, no meaning, and no purpose. Sure, his friends might think he is manly, a guys guy, but generally his friends are unloaded men as well. If we are honest with ourselves, we know we all act this way from time to time. It is one of the lies that we like to believe. Living this way is no way to live, and it is an empty example to set for our children, especially our boys.

Manhood and Guns: Part 1of 4

I was thinking today while driving from one store to the next, “The men of this world are just a bunch of guns running around.” As I pondered this for a few seconds I thought, “Yeah, we are… our manhood itself is like a gun.” We have the power to destroy lives, we have the power to protect lives, and we have the power to save lives. Guns are an awesome thing; they changed the entire history of the world. Armies found that they could fight much more efficiently when they had fire power. With enough firepower men can take over entire countries. Some have even tried to conquer entire continents using the power of guns. I began to think about how a gun makes me feel when I see one; the awe, the reverence, the hint of fear and a little bit of boyish excitement. I also feel these things when I see some men wielding their manhood. I have observed that men carry their manhood much in the same way they carry guns. I believe there are four ways that men use their manhood, and I will compare these to four different ways that men use guns.


First we see the absent man; the lack of manhood. This manhood is similar to the gun hidden in a closet and never used. There is also the empty man who looks the part and feels tough. In truth he is just as empty as a gun on display. Then there is the destructive man whose trigger goes off at the first sign of trouble. Lastly, there is the man who uses his manhood like a police or military personnel would use his gun. It is a precision weapon in the hands of a highly trained and skilled professional.