‘Man Up’…

I’m sat waiting for the rice to finish cooking, it’s part of a delicious dish I’m cooking, judging by the aroma that the slaughtered chicken is producing, now that the fleshy morsels have been dusted with herbs, it’s going to be delightful. . .

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The other day I sat chatting with a few mates, and the topic of discussion was, ‘What is a Real Man!’

It was quite a straight forward question but the conversation seemed to be stuck in a groove of uncertainty.

You could sense the unease, you could see beads of perspiration forming on foreheads, it was as if the question was too dangerous to handle. . .

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The rice looks good, it’s absorbed all of the liquid and now each kernel sits bloated, waiting in anticipation for the next stage of its journey.

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Some one mentioned that a real man is a provider someone who protects his family, and someone who cares for his household, we all agreed but it didn’t seem to totally define ‘What is a Real Man’

At this stage a few of the lads had begun to count the tiles on the floor, a sure sign that we were no sure what the real answer was.

We looked at the worlds view and this became even more confusing, we could see that being a man of the world meant there wasn’t any clear description of what a ‘Real Man’ should be.

We could see that some would say that a man was someone who had gelled hair, & wore jeans that were clearly to tight and showed his underpants! Or, a man was someone who had a fantastic career could afford designer clothes holiday 4 times a year and still feed his family. Or, a man was someone who wore a hoody stuck his hands down his pants and smoked weed. Or, a man was someone who could cheat the system and get exactly what he wanted!.

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The chicken looks glossy, it’s know marinating in a blend of juices, herbs and a secret ingredient. . .Its fragrance is intoxicating.

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We were struggling quite severely to clearly define what is a ‘Real Man’, to many choices, and each choice justifying its eligibility.

What we really needed was clarity, what we needed was to know that we were living as we were designed too, and that we were fulfilling the roll of a Man. . .

So, like in all cases when uncertainty, uninvited, raises its confusing head, we began to look at the question through the eyes of God.

Instantly it became clear that the world has lost its view of what is a ‘Real Man’.

like a buffet table, covered in to many choices, Man now has a pick and mix of who he wants to be!

The result, ‘Man’ has become confused about his credentials, unsure of his role in life, and disappointed with his achievements.

You see, in the beginning it was not so. . .

God created ‘Man’ in His image, God designed ‘Man’ to be a ‘Man’.

A Man who:

• is strong and courageous.
• is not living in fear of other men
• is aware that God wants to show him how to behave and live like a ‘Man’
• is learning to be strong and very, very courageous
• is striving to live according to the standards set by God
• is able to keep going when hard times come along, in life and in relationships
• doesn’t give up because its easier to do so
• is not caught up in the evil things of the world idol worship, sorcery, drunkenness, orgies etc, even when other men laugh at them for not joining them.
• is – kind hearted and won’t cause strife, or become jealous, or angry, and cause divisions between his family and friends.
• is hard working and shares what he has with those who have nothing.
• is aware that true wisdom comes from God and not from other men.
• is aware that Jesus demonstrated what a real ‘Man’ is, by being true to His word, by being strong when others hated Him & by completing the task He set out to do, when no one believed He could.

As we finished talking it was clear that none of us had all these areas boxed-off regarding being a Man, but what was certain was, we knew that we had the blue print, the perfect example of what being a ‘Man’ looks like. . .and that can only be found by observing the life of Jesus and then applying His standards

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I’m now going to try my own cooking!. . . . . . . . . . It is exquisite!, even if I do say so myself.

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My guests will be here soon so I must go and prepare the table. . .

But before I go I want to encourage every man who, for whatever reason, is unsure about who they are, where they fit in or what life holds for them, as a man in this century.

Understand this. . .’we are created in the image of the living God, created to have a life that is full and rewarding.

If this is not the case for you, then It is time for you to begin to see yourself as God sees you and not as the world views you.

You have the potential to be great. . .

Now is the time to ‘Man up‘