In college I was involved with a ministry that at that time was called Campus Crusade for Christ; now it’s just called CRU. Every year around March we would have what was known as man month. Man month was simply a month devoted to the men in our movement to focus on what true biblical masculinity really is.
Once a week during man month all of the men would gather together in the campus cafeteria and watch an older video on true biblical masculinity. At the time I watched these videos they seemed outdated and really did not seem to apply to my life, however now I think I use the lessons I learned nearly everyday.
We learned four basic principals to what it means to be a biblical man.
1. Accept Responsibility
2. Reject passivity
3. Lead Courageously
4. Expect the greater reward, God’s reward.
I feel like one of the biggest struggles in men’s lives today is passivity. Just like in the garden, often times men are not there to fight for the heart of God when they are needed most. We see this play out in Genesis 3 just after the fall when God says “Adam where are you?” In the story of the fall Adam simply let passivity rule his life, he did not stand up for what God had told him and he took the fruit from Eve and ate of it.
Unfortunately just like Adam I feel the same temptation to just sit back and let things happen. In the midst of my struggles however God continues to place me in situations in which I have to rise up and lead.
Right now I find myself working my last week of work at the Rawhide Boys Ranch. If choose not to lead in my work here not only would the living environment for the nine boys in our home be chaotic, it could be dangerous. In a little over a month I will find myself in a new role leading a team of six amazing people around this world of ours. If I chose not to step up and lead my team I’m sure that they would make it by, however I would not be accepting the responsibility that God laid on me to lead them courageously. I would be running away from God’s clear calling for this season of my life.
To be honest leading this team has been one of the biggest struggles for me since being accepted for this trip. I have heard lies from Satan telling me I have nothing to offer them, and in a way I guess he is right. On my own I am so weak and I guess this excites me because any good that comes out of me has to be a work of God!
So this is my declaration, I will accept the responsibility, reject passivity, lead courageously, and expect the greater reward of my Papa saying well done good and faithful servant. I declare that I will give my team members grace and also give myself grace as we learn more of what it looks like to follow the heart of God. God’s question to Adam was “ where are you?” I am saying “here am I.” God teach me to lead, and lead in spite of me so that you get all the glory!
