Thanks for sticking around, I appreciate it.
As we wrap up this chapter, I need to ask the question: "What keeps men from staying put?"
A necessary follow up is, "How do we(I) not fall prey to these influences in our(my) home and family?"
In the middle of this chapter Stu sights some dire statistics, 1,420% rise in the divorce rate in approximately a 70 year span. Men that is only a lifetime, 3 1/2 generations. Our children are the "oddity" in their classrooms because they "only have two parents."
Stu sights a study that concluded that 42% of children of divorce have not had physical contact with the father in over a year. Children of today see this trend as "normal." These are old statistics, it is probably worse today.
Staying power is about honesty and integrity, plain and simple. We need to be the living example of what an honest man looks like in our home.
Read the lesson from Deut. 6:
"1 Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it,
2 so that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged.
3 O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
4 Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!
5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6 These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7 You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.
9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
and further:
"17 You should diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.
18 You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore to give your fathers,
19by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the LORD has spoken.
20 When your son asks you in time to come, saying, 'What do the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments mean which the LORD our God commanded you?'
21 then you shall say to your son, 'We were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt, and the LORD brought us from Egypt with a mighty hand.
22 'Moreover, the LORD showed great and distressing signs and wonders before our eyes against Egypt, Pharaoh and all his household;
23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He had sworn to our fathers.'
24 So the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.
25 It will be righteousness for us if we are careful to observe all this commandment before the LORD our God, just as He commanded us." (NASB)
Please notice, these instructions are not "One and done" items. The language indicates a continuing action. "You shall (keep on) loving the LORD your God", "These words ... shall be on your heart (continually)", "You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD (every day)", "You shall (constantly) teach them diligently to your sons (and daughters)." (added emphasis mine)
These commandments are a lifestyle that is developed over time. This is how we learn staying power.
Near the end of this lesson, Stu gives us an ancient example (Job), a contemporary example (Orville for him) and a Perfect example, Jesus Himself, for us to use as patterns.
My encouragment is this: Find your own "Orville." Find this man who is willing to be your "Paul," who will mentor you along in your marriage, your job and your own Christian life.
Choose wisely.
Remember in "Facing the Giants" when the coach was teaching about giving their all with the "death crawl" He kept shouting "Don't Give up, don't you quit until there is nothing left!"
In His service,
Garry
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Are We Staying? Part 1 The example of Job
Sorry for the long absence. This is an important topic that we have come to, I hope you have an opinion.
The lesson is from what is accepted as one of the oldest writings of Scripture, the Book of Job. What we learn from Job is simply this: It is worth it to keep the Faith, to persevere in the face of trials and adversity and to maintain our trust in God.
It is often overlooked, but another of the lessons from Job is to have good friends. These men, while their counsel may not have been the best, came and for one whole week sat silently and participated in Job's suffering. We need friends like that and we need to BE friends like that. It is not always about fixing the problems for someone, it should be about sharing the load.
The main lesson, as Stu points out, is Job's "staying power."
"Hanging in there."
"Don't give up."
"Endurance to the end."
These are all phrases we use to convey the central thought. Man up, Stay where you belong, even when it is difficult. Maybe it should be especially when it is difficult.
I am confessing here, in the past couple of weeks it would have been very easy for me to let this book study and this discussion forum die. The participation I had hoped for has not yet materialized. I know that it is because some are busier doing family and leading or participating in studies of their own and don't have time to sit at the computer. For some, this is maybe a little too open to share their ideas and feelings. That's okay. I have also come to realize that this particular book has not impacted everyone the same way it did me. That's okay too.
Men, it is not about me, this book or any other thing. What is important is this: Are we staying, developing the mentality of Job, "Yea, though He slay me, I will still serve Him."
We are not about to be slain physically. Where we are struggling the most it seems is this, "Why am I doing what I'm doing and how much longer am I going to stay with it?"
I can only answer the "Why" for myself. Only you can answer that question for yourself.
As for the "How long?"
For me, it is until He returns.
As a group, we will be much stronger, much more effective and much happier than if we try to go it alone. We are not alone, in our desire to serve the Body, in our struggles with discouragement, in any other way. We have each other, we need to reach out to catch the falling brother. We need to share the load, we need to feel like we can ask our brother to help when we feel alone.
More later about staying power.
With Love in Christ,
Garry
The lesson is from what is accepted as one of the oldest writings of Scripture, the Book of Job. What we learn from Job is simply this: It is worth it to keep the Faith, to persevere in the face of trials and adversity and to maintain our trust in God.
It is often overlooked, but another of the lessons from Job is to have good friends. These men, while their counsel may not have been the best, came and for one whole week sat silently and participated in Job's suffering. We need friends like that and we need to BE friends like that. It is not always about fixing the problems for someone, it should be about sharing the load.
The main lesson, as Stu points out, is Job's "staying power."
"Hanging in there."
"Don't give up."
"Endurance to the end."
These are all phrases we use to convey the central thought. Man up, Stay where you belong, even when it is difficult. Maybe it should be especially when it is difficult.
I am confessing here, in the past couple of weeks it would have been very easy for me to let this book study and this discussion forum die. The participation I had hoped for has not yet materialized. I know that it is because some are busier doing family and leading or participating in studies of their own and don't have time to sit at the computer. For some, this is maybe a little too open to share their ideas and feelings. That's okay. I have also come to realize that this particular book has not impacted everyone the same way it did me. That's okay too.
Men, it is not about me, this book or any other thing. What is important is this: Are we staying, developing the mentality of Job, "Yea, though He slay me, I will still serve Him."
We are not about to be slain physically. Where we are struggling the most it seems is this, "Why am I doing what I'm doing and how much longer am I going to stay with it?"
I can only answer the "Why" for myself. Only you can answer that question for yourself.
As for the "How long?"
For me, it is until He returns.
As a group, we will be much stronger, much more effective and much happier than if we try to go it alone. We are not alone, in our desire to serve the Body, in our struggles with discouragement, in any other way. We have each other, we need to reach out to catch the falling brother. We need to share the load, we need to feel like we can ask our brother to help when we feel alone.
More later about staying power.
With Love in Christ,
Garry
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Follow up Chapter 3
As we prepare to move into Chapter 4, here are a few more thoughts. It may be a little dis-connected because I don't have my book in front of me to stay on track. We'll see how this goes.
The Four Pillars of Manhood are important to keep in balance as Stu points out. Developing these parts of our personalities takes time and effort. Maintaining the balance between Warrior and brute is not as difficult for most of us as say, establishing the proper relationship of Mentor/Friend in our relationships. Whether it is our marriage, being a Father, work or another type of relationship, the "right balance," is not easy to attain. However, it is probably the most important one to keep tuned properly at all times.
We (meaning me) tend to go into "problem solving mode" at the first hint of the opportunity to be the Hero. Mentors do use these chances to create learning moments and that is not terrible. The trick is to develop the discernment required to recognize the difference between a "teaching" opportunity and a "listening" opportunity. Men, sometimes we need to turn off the "Mr. Fix-it" mentality and just hear the hurt and the sorrow realizing there is not anything else required. I'll let you know when I have that part of the riddle solved and can readily see the differences.
The Four Pillars of Manhood are important to keep in balance as Stu points out. Developing these parts of our personalities takes time and effort. Maintaining the balance between Warrior and brute is not as difficult for most of us as say, establishing the proper relationship of Mentor/Friend in our relationships. Whether it is our marriage, being a Father, work or another type of relationship, the "right balance," is not easy to attain. However, it is probably the most important one to keep tuned properly at all times.
We (meaning me) tend to go into "problem solving mode" at the first hint of the opportunity to be the Hero. Mentors do use these chances to create learning moments and that is not terrible. The trick is to develop the discernment required to recognize the difference between a "teaching" opportunity and a "listening" opportunity. Men, sometimes we need to turn off the "Mr. Fix-it" mentality and just hear the hurt and the sorrow realizing there is not anything else required. I'll let you know when I have that part of the riddle solved and can readily see the differences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
