I'll never forget a conversation I had with my Granddad
when I was just a young boy. Like most boys I was intrigued by war stories, of
heroes and overcoming impossible odds.
One thing he said that hung in the air as he said it and
has stayed with me since. He said, “We
went over as boys and came back as men. “
So what does it take for a BOY to become a MAN - does he
need to go war for this to happen? Surely not!
Most of us have heard the words BE A MAN. Maybe your own
Dad spoke it over you, or perhaps you have said it to yourself or a friend has
challenged you in a time of need to BE A MAN.
But often two really important things are missing?
•
A clear, grounded, intentional &
Biblical definition of Manhood.
•
A well-defined process that
challenges the Boy to embrace the clear definition.
We need men to rise up and know who they are.
Not boys in bigger clothes, not trying to still prove
themselves against undefined set of scales that fail to inspire or equip.
So, what is it about a man that makes him a man?
1 Corinthians
15 –
Two men who serve as a snapshot of manhood.
Adam and Jesus Christ.
Paul refers to them as the first and last Adams.
1 Corinthians
15:45
And so it is written, “The
first man Adam became a living being.”
The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
Every man will end up drawing his masculinity from the Adam
of Genesis or from Jesus Christ. This is a great passage of Scripture to work
your way through and meditate on.
A man is someone who rejects passivity, accepts
responsibility, leads courageously and expects a greater reward.
Robert Lewis.
Our society needs men who will take a stand for moral
absolutes –
but where are these men?
Jesus was more of a man in the manger than Adam ever was in
the garden! –
He laid aside all his ‘rights’ and gave ALL for what He stood for.
Adam, when
faced with his moment to shine and protect and cover his wife, just stood by
and watched the serpent unfold his plan.
Real manhood begins with a decision to reject social &
spiritual passivity when it almost seems natural and effortless to simply
follow the crowd.
Leadership demands that men have the COURAGE to master
their passions and emotions and arm themselves with Biblical truth.
The courage to lead with truth rather than surrender to
feelings always separates the men from the boys.
A
boy, a good boy knows how to follow.
A
man, a real man, knows how to lead.
