1 O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old—
3 what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
his power, and the wonders he has done.
(Psalm 78:1-4 NIV)
My father was incredible story teller. Throughout my childhood, he made it a point to tell me stories before I would go to bed. He created memorable characters like the adventurous Oolie the Indian, and the mischievous team of Becky and Henry. I can recall many nights with him as we watched the fire burn down in our fireplace and he would take me on Canadian moose hunts. We did all of this and never left the living room.
As great as those stories were however, it was the stories he and my mom would tell me of God's faithfulness to them during the Great Depression and the Second World War that have stuck with me into my adulthood. The memory of these stories caused me to wonder, "What stories have I passed on to my own children of God's faithfulness? How have I placed a hunger in their hearts for a relationship with their Heavenly Father by recounting the Lord's presence in the life of their earthly father?"
On a broader scale, this passage has led me to wonder how the current generation of men's leaders is preparing the young men coming behind us to be the leaders God is calling them to be. The power and influence of the men's movement of the 1990's cannot be understated. Ministries like Promise Keepers and men like Ed Cole launched the current generation of men's leaders into an era of unprecedented fruitfulness in men's ministry. But how will we pass along a passion for God to the next generation of young men?
I encourage you to respond with your thoughts, insights, and experiences as to how you and your men's ministry is reaching back and helping ignite a fire of spiritual passion in the lives of the next generation.
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4 comments:
What each man can and will do each day is what sets a christian man apart from the rest of the world.
I came to the mens group several years ago searching for what a real Christian man looks like and over the years that is what I have found within the group of men. Even though the group cham=nges all the time that what makes this experience so great.
As husbands, what are we supposed to do for our wives? The easy answer is to love her but what if that it is not enough? What does that look like? Does the way you love each other change over time? What if she changes? Can a married couple embark on personal change that at first does not involve each other? I am afraid that I am going to lose her not to another man but to a new identity. I want her to discover the "lost" part of herself and I have encouraged her to continue but I do not want to be left behind. I believe that our marriage will be better in the end but now I am scared.
Any words of wisdom?
Anonymous -
What a great question. Several years ago, the Lord brought me to a crossroad (no pun intended here) regarding my own marriage. The Lord confronted me with an eternal reality. When it comes to my wife, there is one specific question that I will be responsible to answer on the day I stand before God: "How did I love my wife like Christ loved the church?" God will not say to us as men, "Geez buddy, I'm sorry your wife wasn't more cooperative, or I'm sorry she didn't quite meet up to your expectations in this area or that. I understand why you chose to pull your heart away from her." No, the one question that every husband who is a follower of Christ must be prepared to answer is, "How did my love for my wife reflect the love of Christ." It is here that I have come to understand that marriage is not meant to make us happy, but to make us holy. Not that there are not a lot of incredible moments of joy in marriage, but that is not the ultimate goal. Christ's ultimate goal for our lives is that our characters reflect the character of Christ. All that we can do is our part. Look at Philippians 2 for a detailed example of "how" Christ loved the church. Ask the Spirit to guide you in applying vv. 1-11, to your love of your wife. Does love change over time? Love doesn't but how you express it does. Love is the fundamental commitment to serve another person and partner with the Spirit to meet their needs. Our wives are dynamic. Their lives and seasons have a profound impact on their needs and we must be dilligent as men to do as 1 Peter 3:7 says, "be considerate as you live with your wife," in other words, get to know her and be a student of your wife. You cannot effectively show love to someone unless you've taken time to know what their needs are. All of us are in a constant process of changing. That is the promise in fact of 2 Corinthians 3:18, "we are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory." As we continue to grow in our understanding of who we are it is important that we include others in our journey. Take interest in your wife's journey. Be inquistive but not intrusive or pushy. Remember, Jesus never forces his will upon the church. Stay close. Stay interested. Take confidence in the Spirit's ability to guide her through the rapids of personal rediscovery. Most of all, pray for her. Pray God's word over her (Ephesians 1:15-23)and embrace your role as the primary one to take your wife before the Father in prayer. This is part of the cross bearing ministry that we are called to embrace as followers of Christ. It is a journey of emptying ourselves that we might learn what it truly means to be a man.
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