In the hit movie, “War Room”, Tony was the man! He was physically fit. He was his company’s top salesman, landing deals others could not and landing the associated pay with bonuses. He had a large home, a beautiful wife and a precious little girl. Life was good.
Life also involved long hours with the job, extensive travel and pressure for continued results. The intense pursuit of success created tension in the home and frustration in the marriage relationship. Temptation knocked on the door during a business trip. I am not going to give the movie away – go see it with your family. But the story line we have read before – David, the mighty warrior and king was not where he was supposed to be, on the battlefield with his men, and temptation knocked at the door.
Be a Man: “Then Nathan said, ‘You are the man!’” – 2Samuel 12:7. The prophet Nathan had just presented King David with a scenario of a man abusing his power and asked the King to render judgment. When David heard the story, he “burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!’” The story paralleled David’s indiscretion with Bathsheba and the associated deceit and murder of Uriah. David was busted. He confessed, accepted full responsibility for his actions, went to his ‘war room’ to pray & fast but realized the associated consequences were part of the journey. With his humility, David was restored as a man of God and was able to pass the baton on to his second son with Bathsheba, Solomon.
The most succinct definition of manhood I have seen was presented by Robert Lewis in his “Quest for Authentic Manhood” study. The definition challenges men to “Reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously and invest eternally.” It is a constant reminder to never be passive in relationships, accept full responsibility for actions and to lead the way toward Christ-likeness, all with an eternal perspective on life.
Prayer guide: Lord, thank You for the example of David. He was a man after Your heart yet he was the man capable of such evil. Such is the state of natural man living in the tension between good and evil. Grant me strength in the resurrected Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit to recognize evil for what it is and rebuke it fully when temptations knock at the door. Help me be a man of You that rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and invests eternally for the sake of my family and generations to come. Amen.
A faithful father is a man that rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously and invests eternally.
