A man that believes God sets his heart to resolve the challenges of life that cannot be handled by his own strength. Everything about being a man has to do with strength. In fact, it is not cool to be nonathletic when you are an adolescent boy, because muscle and athleticism are tied to manliness. That’s why so many young men, who may not be athletes, find themselves displaying manliness (strength) through thug-like behavior and appearance. They perceive that it is better to be a thug (strength) than to be nonathletic.
Men are greatly challenged by the elements of strength because it is easy to find, but yet very difficult to maintain. Every level of life brings new levels of strength for manhood and with that strength comes new levels of responsibility. Everyone expects men to be strong. Even women want men that give direction, that have vision, that can rescue them from the dangers of the day and that can claim heroism as bold as Superman, himself.
I’ll never forget how my perception of my wife’s gaze began to change as I began to understand manhood. Initially, as she gazed into my eyes, I felt as though she was looking into my soul. Literally, that she had fallen so deeply in love with me that she would be lost without me. God; did that make me feel like a man. Later, that same look began to find words, without lips, that whispered things to me that I had never imagined could be expected. Her eyes, were simply saying, “Take me somewhere, please.” The shift was from a glance of romance to a glance of responsibility, and that changed the game.
In order to gain strength, I had to learn to lose strength. In order to lead, I had to learn to follow. In order be responsible, I had to be redeemed. In order to love, I had to be unconditionally loved. In order to be a man, I had to have a perfect model. In order to realize manhood, I needed a miracle. The miracle of giving yourself away to God as if you were incapable of doing life alone is far from what men are designed to do, yet it is necessary for them to become who they are meant to be. The things men are naturally made to do and believe identify them as men were the very things I had to give up in order to gain true leadership. The definition of “up” was to go “down”; the definition of “strength” was to be “weak” and those ideals were far from being a “man”.
When men do this, they set themselves on a course, not tied to the frustrations of their past, but rather to the fruition of their future. Their motives are driven by faith and the secrets of their hearts are healed without being revealed. They lead everything towards one direction, making all things work together for the good of their family. When husbands believe God; the game changes.
BMWK – Leave us a comment if you believe the game changes when husbands believe God.