July 2010
Understanding Manhood: Keys to helping men become better men, husbands, and fathers
Men and Ambition by Robert Jeffress
Today, as never before, men are being bombarded with an endless list of requirements supposedly necessary to be an effective husband, father, or follower of Christ. Consider these unrealistic expectations:
- Time management: Attend Christian seminars or read books on time management and a guy gets the idea that every moment of his life should have profound significance! God is pictured as some divine efficiency expert, sitting on His throne with a giant day-timer, recording how well we use our time.
- Money management: Christian men are saturated with advice about how to manage their money, saving thousands of dollars each year for college or retirement. At the same time we are pressed to give an increasing percentage of money to support God’s work. No wonder so many are suffering from floating anxiety about their finances!
- Marriage: If a man and his wife aren’t enjoying wedded bliss every moment, Christian books, articles, radio, and seminars will make sure he knows that he is falling short of God’s expectations! In today’s world, our expectations are so inflated regarding marriage that many couples are becoming needlessly discontented with their relationships.
- Prayer: If men don’t get up at the crack of dawn each morning and spend at least an hour on their knees in prayer, there’s a good chance they feel guilty about it. Nowhere does the Bible place a premium on long prayers, or that God hears us better when we’re sleepy or hungry. Unfortunately, many men, unable to meet these unrealistic standards, give up praying altogether.
- Parenting: Men get the idea nowadays that they are supposed to be some sort of ‘super-dad’ or ideal Christian parent. They feel like failures much of the time instead of feeling ‘set free’ as Jesus promised.
I believe that God wants to loosen the knots of unrealistic expectations enslaving us to guilt. Many men feel so weighed down by all the unrealistic expectations from other Christians that they give up trying to please God at all. If you are tired of being under the pressure to perform, think about this: During Jesus’ time on earth, he didn’t heal every sick person, raise every dead person, or convert every sinner during His brief thirty-three years...but He knew He had completed the assignment God had given Him. Unshackle yourself and begin to enjoy life!
Read the other articles in this issue:
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