"Being a Christian isn't for sissies. It takes a real man to live for God - a lot more man than to live for the devil, you know? If you really want to live right these days, you gotta be tough." - Johnny Cash
Sept 20 was Week 2 of Wild at Heart. This week we dug into chapter 1, which lays the groundwork for what is to come.
We started off with a question from the Wild at Heart Field Manual:
"Let's say you have 3 months of vacation coming up, a sabbatical all to yourself, and plenty of cash to bankroll it. Where would you go? What would you do? What is your dream trip?"
The responses were very interesting. Here are a few:
- fishing trip to Alaska
- bicycling/hiking trip
- cross-country motorcycle trip
- trip exploring Europe
We talked about the significance of these answers. Most responses involved getting away, doing something adventurous on some level. Is this a natural reaction? Is this ingrained in all of us?
This led into talking about men through the Bible...in the wild. Moses, Jacob, Jesus. The wild called to them, and they answered.
As we delved further into chapter 1, we got into some other topics regarding men:
The "prepackaged male": "The masculine heart need a place where nothing is prefabricated, modular, nonfat, zip lock, franchised, online, or microwavable. Where there are no deadlines, cell phones or committee meetings. Where there is room for the soul." Is our masculinity (in and out of the church) being handed to us in a handy-dandy little package?
What the Church expects: Most men feel that the church expects them to be:
- docile
- safe
- nice guy
Does this fall in line with how we truly feel? How did Jesus act in comparison?
Question:
There are pressures all throughout the world to be the man we ought to be. "This is what a good husband/father/Christian/churchgoer ought to do."
Think about your life, your world. What is being asked of you? What do feel the pressure to be...
At Home....At Work....At Church?
Some felt pressure to be an example to the family. Others felt the pressure to be something they are not at their job (leaving you unfulfilled).
We feel pressure to juggle our varying priorities, incorporate God into our families and personal life, pressure to be willing to take a stand in the face of intimidation.
Pressure to be "the man".
I encourage you to ask yourself these questions, recognize what you are being pressured to "be".
FOR NEXT SUNDAY: READ CHAPTER 2: THE WILD ONE WHOSE IMAGE WE BEAR!
We hope to see you next Sunday. Feel free to leave comments or conversation in the section below.
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