Where are the men?

The fact that men are becoming more and more outnumbered in most Christian ministries is both an applause for the women and a rebuke to the men. Well done faithful women… men, what’s going on?
 
I’m living out the disparity right now on World Race. In my squad of 48, there are 11 men. I am currently living in a house with 11 women and 1 other guy. This is radically different than any other living situation I have ever encountered, so it has been a growing experience with trials and tribulations.
 
While the ratio of women to men is not as drastic in most ministries as world race, it is undeniable. And though I would love to see more men do world race, we just need more men involved in general. It would edify the church to have more passionate, on-fire men involved in ministry. But first, what constitutes a godly man? Our perception is skewed, because secular culture stereotypes a man to be a hard-headed, stubborn, Rambo type of guy with a rippling 6-pack. About a year ago, I wrote down my definition of a man after God’s own heart.
 
What is a man?
One who seeks the Lord, lives in obedience to Him, and leads a life of adventure and passion.
 
A man is strength.
But is that only in the physical sense?
Of course not; in all arenas.
A true man seeks the Lord with all His heart, soul and mind.
A man stands up for what is right, and even more so humbles himself when he is wrong.
A man accepts rebuke graciously.
A man pursues, nay- fights for the woman he loves.
A man is a godly role model for his children.
A man is passionate and adventurous.
A man is an imperfect, yet beautiful piece of God.
And being that reflection of God, a true man will depend on the Lord, for a man’s strength (in all arenas) comes from God.
 
It’s surely an imperfect definition, but it is a start.
 
Now what is the strategy for adding men to our number? Discipleship. Men need to be pouring into men. They need to be super intentional about building one another up in Christ. Both being mentored and mentoring others has been a big source of spiritual growth for me personally. And discipleship is the power of multiplication… by discipling men who then go and disciple men, we multiply our numbers as opposed to adding them.
 
So let’s get to it men. Be zealous for the Lord, then train other men to be like-minded. 

This has nothing to do with this blog- but if you want to see a “cribs” version of where we are living in Romania, check it out.