It’s palpable in a Bible study, a church congregation, or on a mission trip, but it’s proving to be less of a coincidence, and more of a foundational issue: the lack of men in ministry.
While this topic may seem to depreciate the women who have given their lives to serving Christ in a vocational way, this is not the case. More than ever before, I see women stepping up into their strengths and gifts that the Lord has given them with an intention to utilize them fully. However, it seems as though this is not reciprocated among the community of Christian men.
To the Church:
Portraying Him as “Gentle Jesus” is great for the families in your church, and the kids will surely soak it up, but what about the Jesus that is bold and formidable. The One that abolished the law in His teachings, shocked the Pharisees, commanded the storms, healed, spoke to the multitudes, and rebuked Satan. Where is this Jesus in your teachings? This isn’t an attempt to convince you to disguise the person of Jesus to make Him more appealing to men. This is a reminder that Jesus is a man that men can relate to, so instead of diluting His vitality, let’s promote His boldness.
To the Men:
While the church plays a major role in cultivating an environment that encourages male leadership in ministry, the men themselves have to step up. By nature, we tend to have a lot of pride.
As the disciples were getting ready for the Passover dinner with Jesus, they realized they had no place to go. Jesus tells them to “go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you” (Mark 14:13). The disciples were to follow a man carrying a jar of water into his home to prepare for the Passover. The custom of carrying water in the Holy Land is ancient, but it was a woman’s job. Men never carried the water. When Joshua was deceived by the Gibeonites (Joshua 9), he punished them by making them carry the water. This was a humiliating job for a man. Do you see where I am going with this? This man, who was getting ready to host Jesus, had to humble himself and carry the water, before Jesus could come into his home.
As men, we have to humble ourselves before the Lord. There’s too much pride in our hearts for Jesus to have to compete with. The world looks upon Christians, the church, and ministry as weak, irrelevant, and a misapplication of commitment. We need men to show the world that Christians, the church, and ministry is devoted, essential, and urgent. But more importantly, we need men to show the Lord that we are willing to humble ourselves before Him, abdicate the fleeting pleasures of the world, and do whatever it takes for the sake of His purpose.
This is a call for men.
