The day I signed up for the race, I thought something was wrong. When I arrived at training camp, I knew something was wrong.
There were 30 women and only 5 men.
As we continued around the world, through South America, into Europe, and especially in Asia, the number of men in the ministry is drastically disproportionate to the number of women.
This was made extremely evident these last two months as the Asian culture requires men and women to sit on opposite sides of the room. While the women’s side was packed four deep in every row, the men’s two-deep side was sparsely filled.
Why? One would think that men would flock to the epitome of masculinity, the definition of bad-assery, and the hardcore Lion of Judah that “don’t take no sh** from the demons and Satan himself.”
One would think…..or have we forgotten?
Let’s jump back 6000 years and be a fly on the wall in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve have approached the tree and the serpent is convincing Eve to eat the fruit. Finally, Eve takes a bite. *pause*
Sin came into the world right there….at least, that’s what I used to think. Eve did what God said not to do, it’s her fault.
No, sin came into the world before God created the world. Satan was at work and active in the world as God created. Satan watched God spit in his face by creating life in Gods image on his turf.
Darkness was there, the instigator of sin was present, but it had no power there because God had given authority to Adam. The garden was his, the responsibility of naming every creature was his, and the task of maintaining the garden was his and his alone.
Satan entered the garden unchecked, claimed possession of an animal under Adams care, and proceeded to steal the mate that God created for him specifically from under his nose.
Strike 3 Adam.
Adam failed not just because he didn’t stop Eve from falling, but because he had been given authority and he didn’t recognize and/or use it.
*brief history clarification*
Adam had authority, his failure to use it began Satan’s reign and authority over the world. Satan offered it to Jesus in return for worship, but Jesus refused. After Jesus’s death, His sacrifice reclaimed ownership of the earth which He then gave to us in addition to the Holy Spirit.
For some reason, no one has told us men that we are the very image of God, endowed with His Holy Spirit, and given authority over the world! This is a kind of authority that we have to learn how to use!
Do you see how friggin big this is?! How big this gift is? But also the responsibility that a gift of this size bears?
Personally, God has given me a set of gifts which I am obligated to use, authorized and sealed by the one who owns the entire world.
God has given me a passion for the outdoors, which means my bucket list consists of summiting the 7 highest peaks in the world.
God has given me a passion for the poor, which means I dream of organizing a global ministry and partnering with the Samaritan’s Purse and Red Cross.
God has given me a passion for freedom, which means I plan to set up camps, retreats, and conferences to teach men how to embrace and use the authority with which God has not only endowed them, but expects them to use!
I dream global dreams because I follow a global God who has “Given me all authority in Heaven and Earth”
God has called us to be infinitely more than what we are settling for, and every man that hasn’t heard of or isn’t walking in his God-given authority is a man living barely a fraction of the life God intends for him.
