Men

What About that Proverbs 31 Man?

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 NKJV

As an average married guy, I used to think of Proverbs 31 as, “The Ladies Chapter.” Though it all sounded sweet and idyllic, it seemed to be filled with advice that had nothing to do with me. But then as I read these verses recently, I noticed that there is not only a Proverbs 31 woman, but there is also a Proverbs 31 guy, (King Lemuel). In fact, King Lemuel wrote this entire chapter, and its first nine verses teach about how a real man and a good king ought to live, and his advice is super relevant for men today. The first seven verses are like a bucket of cold water thrown over our heads. Apparently, King Lemuel had been heading down the wrong path, when his mom showed up at the door saying that he needed to be careful to watch out for the wrong kind of women and stay away from the bar! What I really love about this guy, is that he wasn’t embarrassed to mention that these ideas came from his mom. He then lets us in on the secret that he learned from her that being a good man means listening to a woman, when she speaks the truth. Or as it is told in the lyrics of the song, “It’s a Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown and Betty Jean Newsome:

"This is a man's man's world. But it wouldn't be nothin' without a woman or a girl!"

Then King Lemuel goes on to tell us that we need to be more than just a, “I Feel your pain” kind of guy. We are expected to take action. We are called to do more than conquer, consume and celebrate. We are commanded to put on our big-boy pants and speak up for the silent victims of our society, get involved with putting things right in our communities and personally stand up the cause of the poor. The Bible certainly doesn’t call us to be wimps, pushovers or sissies, but it does call us to use our uniquely male strength and abilities to defend the weak and carry the weight of the burdens of others. God is calling us as men to be the framers of a just society, the defenders of the weak and to keep our personal lives pure. All of this sounds a bit overwhelming and a pie-in-the-sky, and it makes me ask “So, where do I begin?” And that’s a perfect question because the rest of the chapter tells me that, I need to start by being faithful to a woman who fears the Lord and teach our children to honor her and publicly give her the praise she deserves! Then, when God is at the center of our family and we are together moving in His design, He will bless us. Throughout the Bible, God promises that as we stay faithful to one another, and serve one another, His joy and peace will fill our hearts and homes and show the love of Christ to anyone that God puts in our path today.

Act Like Men!

/ pastorpete51 / 6 Comments 
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.  
1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Today’s verse reminds me of Eisenhower’s final instructions to the troops on the night before the Normandy Invasion of June 6th, 1944. “I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking. “ As the general knew, these were the final words some of those men would hear. In face of the coming battle, he appealed to their courage, devotion and skill, and then above all these he asked them to pray for the blessing of God. Thank God for such men, by whose sacrifice the evil Nazi regime was eventually defeated.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Like Eisenhower, Paul closes his letter with instructions preparing the church for a spiritual battle. He begins with the phrase, “Act like men“. In today’s society, such advice would immediately be misconstrued and soon pummeled by the press. But in Paul’s day, his instructions were perfectly understood. His readers knew how men ought to act, and it had nothing to do with their sexual prowess, if they looked amazing, or were applauded by society. They understood that grown men ought to be unafraid to face hardship, ready to defend those around them and willing to suffer without complaint. Men were expected to be motivated by concern for others, especially their families, and guided by the desire, not just to have things, but to do good for others. Paul was not appealing to the chest pounding male bravado that celebrates personal victory, but to the willingness of fathers who work tirelessly to provide for their wives and children and give a helping hand to their neighbors.

Though we men do not always live up to that standard, it doesn’t mean the standard needs to be changed, transformed or updated. When we fail (as we often do), we instead need to refocus on the last phrase of Paul’s instructions, “Let all you do, be done in love.” Yesterday was my wife’s birthday and I bought her flowers (which she loved!). But Nancy’s expectations for me do not end with flowers. I do not get to just drop off a bouquet and then act like a jerk for the rest of the year. Love is fairly pedestrian. It slogs along through the battlefield of life, pressing ahead one step at a time and dodging incoming fire, while working its way towards the goal that God sets. At what is that goal? It is the Cross of Jesus Christ, because that is where true love and courage is to be found. We need to be reminded that Jesus went to the cross, not just because he had to, or was forced into the situation, but because He chose to give His life. He set the example of what it meant to “Act like men. Our challenge on this anniversary of D-Day is to do the same and to give our lives, one day at a time, with courage, faith, and most of all by the help of Almighty God and with His blessing on the undertaking that we have before us.