Humility

 

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

-Philippians 2:3-4

Men, do you realize that humility along with self-confidence can be very attractive traits to have as you carry yourself throughout your life. We've all come into contact with that person who gloats and tells everybody about how great he or she is and how we're "lucky" to be in their presence so to speak. Shoot, I've even been guilty of this in my past and it's sad because it comes from the breeding grounds of insecurity. A person who has their act together and who's confidence is high doesn't need to broadcast to the world that he has it. It should just come out naturally for others to see.

This verse above tells us to watch out for our own vanity and praising ourselves. God tells us to be humble and think of other's needs above our own. Wow! Did you hear that? What a tough command to follow but how rewarding it can be for the people around us when we act in this fashion according to God's desire for our lives as men and leaders. When we lift others up who come into our life, it makes us that much more attractive and pleasant to be around as we show Christ's light to them. Your relationships will be better and you will influence others better with your existence. Also, you feel better about yourself when you lift up the people around you. It's an intrinsic value that happens by showing others love and will give your life more meaning, joy, and purpose. Remember, the greatest commandment is to love others.

Who do you need to reach out to by humbling yourself and putting their needs above your own? It's tough because we as men have so much pride and we live in a world that says, "It's all about me, me, me and I, I, I." God will reward you though for your humility to put others first. This doesn't mean we let people take advantage of us and use us for their selfishness. No, that's where having proper boundaries set up in your life when dealing with others is so important. When Jesus came to earth he humbled himself to be born in a lowly state and then crucified by his own kind when he could of easily escaped it all. He knew his purpose and he didn't let people take him off track to what he knew he was supposed to do with his life. He didn't let people walk all over him either throughout his ministry yet he fulfilled his mission in humility. Check yourself today and ask yourself, "Who do I need to start treating better with a spirit of humility?" This is a man quality. Remember, the world has it all backwards. 

He who wants to be first shall be last and he who humbles himself shall be first.


 

It's a Tough Road Ahead

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." -Peter 5:8

"Do not envy the wicked, do not desire their company; for their hearts plot violence, and their lips talk about making trouble." -Proverbs 24: 1-2

"And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." -I John 2:17 (NLT)

Men, isn't it tough sometimes to stay on the right path as a believer and to follow the things of God? We'll always have times in our life where it would be easier to just do our own thing and follow the world's way of doing things; but God tells us there's a better way and that is by obedience to him. This doesn't mean we're called as men to live in a shallow bubble where we hide from everything, no, but God tells us to ask for discernment and wisdom to make the right decisions when in the face of adversity. He has called us to live lives set apart from the way the unsaved act. This is a huge challenge but one that God wants us to win very bad. I fail daily and am thankful for God's grace to pick me up and put me back on the right path.

Satan is on the prowl guys and he knows EXACTLY where to trip you up at. He's a crafty manipulator and many times uses our minds and our weak spots against us to get us to fall into sin. That little dark secret you have in your life, yeah, he knows it and will use it against you to try and defeat you. This is why these verses above warn us from going along with the things of this world and the people who do not follow God's way. This is a huge struggle for us as men especially when it comes to our dating and social lives. God sees your sacrifice though men and he wants you to keep going. When we slip up we must ask God for forgiveness and learn from our mistakes. If we don't learn to choose God's way, we can end up going down a dark, dreary road that God didn't intend for us to go down. By the way, God also knows your biggest secrets, hurts, struggles, and fears, and he loves you still the same and wants to help you find victory through him. There is hope!

Don't desire the things of this world men! It's all empty apart from God and giving into temptation is selling yourself short. Stay alert and focused on the things of God so when the Devil rears his ugly head and tries to deceive you, you can see it coming from a mile away. There's a saying that goes, "He who fails to plan, plans to fail." Don't fail in your personal life guys by getting caught off guard and yielding to temptation. The results can be devastating for your walk as a Christian man and the decisions can affect you and those around you for forever. Determine to follow God and stay on guard. This may mean you getting honest with yourself and putting certain road blocks in your way in your personal life to keep you from knocking on sin's door. I've seen how the world acts when they forsake the things of God and it's ugly men! Apart from God it's all empty and temporary pleasure. Don't fall for Satan's lie that he feeds you on a daily basis.

It's tough...but our God is tougher!

What Really Matters

"Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." -Colossians 3:2

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.  For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

Men, I realize death can be a touchy topic to talk about with people but we must all realize that just as everybody is born, we all must die too. Many people don't like thinking or talking about death because they may not know what they believe on the topic of the afterlife or maybe they just want to avoid it all together and stay in an ignorant state based out of fear. I would like to encourage you though men as a Christian you don't have to fear death if you've accepted Christ as your personal Savior. You can embrace the fact that this hard, painful life will not last forever. What a relief! If you approach this life with an eternal perspective that the party starts in Heaven, then being able to accept that death is coming is a much easier concept to grasp. Don't get so caught up in this life. This is just the pre-season of what you'll do in eternity when the real season starts. Don't worry, it won't be what you see on television where you're bored and strumming a harp on a cloud in the sky, no, you'll be having the best time of your life! Get excited, it's coming, and you won't have to put up with all the pain, hurt, and anguish this lifetime brings here on earth. Don't fear death; embrace it and be a shining light to show others that they don't have to fear it either if they know Christ. Focus your energy each day on what truly matters. You've been given the gift of life so make the most of it! Be the best you can be and embrace your uniqueness! Don't compare yourself to others. You're the only one of your kind!

If you are just living to please yourself in this life here on earth then your fooling yourself. The end will come and it won't matter how much money you made, what you owned, what kind of success you had, where you grew up, what you looked like, what your ethnicity was, etc. What will matter is what you gave, your character, your kindness, the love you showed others, your integrity, your compassion, your courage, your sacrifice for the betterment of others, the encouragement you offered, how you touched people's lives, and most importantly what matters is if you accepted Christ as your personal Savior and took his gift of salvation.

How will you be remembered and what things do you place emphasis on? Do they truly matter in the big scheme of things? You can't take your earthly treasures or your career with you but you can touch lives in a major way while you're alive. It's very unlikely a man on his death bed is going to ask to be surrounded by his wealth, possessions, and trophies. No, he'll want to be surrounded by people who love him and who he had apart in touching their lives with his love, kindness, and joy. Living a meaningful life that truly matter doesn't just happen. It's a choice that you can decide today to start living out. Where does your treasure lie? What does your heart place the most importance on? This may mean for some of you that you need to reevaluate your approach to your life and relationships. Start today showing God's love to others. This doesn't at all mean being a soft pushover. It means you can be a strong man offering more to his fellow man from a positive place inside your heart based out of love for your Heavenly Father. Stop putting so much emphasis on things that won't matter at the end of your life. Go touch a life in a positive way today!

Choose to live a life that truly matters with a Heavenly perspective in mind.

Realizing When to Let Go & Let God

"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble."
-Proverbs 4: 18-19

Men, people should be able to tell that you are a follower of Christ by the way you walk, talk, and how you act. This doesn't mean at all that you are perfect; you are simply saved by grace. This means you must hold yourself to a higher standard as one of God's sons. You are royalty when you are apart of God's family. You need to hold yourself accountable to walk the walk that pleases your Heavenly Father. If people can't see a difference in your life from the unsaved then it's time for some inward inspection, repenting, asking God for forgiveness, and for a fresh start. I've had to do this many times in my life and God is faithful to pick me back up each time. Now this doesn't give me an excuse to "act the fool" and do whatever I want because God forgives so easy. That's not authentic Christianity and if that's been your attitude I would challenge you to reexamine your approach to your salvation.

When Christ comes in he changes us and makes us new. He gives us the Holy Spirit to work with our conscience to speak to us about what path to take and what is right and what is wrong. We should be shining like the morning sun as this verse says above. On the other side of the equation are the wicked who stumble in the darkness and don't even realize how lost they truly are. The Bible says that Satan has blinded their eyes from seeing the right path to take. It's actually very sad. You should pray for those around you who are lost and can't seem to find the right path to take. Many times it's these lost souls who will blaspheme you for your faith and try to tear you down. Have pity on them. Don't stoop to throwing mud back at them like they are doing to you. Often times they will attack your Christianity and Spiritual walk the hardest to try to hurt you and tear you down to their level. It's no fun being called a hypocrite by a person who is broken and lost but it happens. Broken, lost and hurting people often do not choose their words wisely and won't fight fair. Remember, hurting people hurt other people. Be on guard and change what needs to be changed in your daily walk but consider where the backlash is coming from and don't react out of anger. Take the high road. Matthew 5:11 says it's a blessing when people insult, persecute, and make false statements against you because of your following Christ. Believe it or not you have a target on you when you claim to be a Christian.

I have found myself a number of times trying to reach out to a hurting person only to have them lash back at me when what I really wanted to do is try and point them in the right direction for help. Guys, some people may say they want help but if their not willing to listen and attempt to change, it's a waste of time, and all you can do sometimes is pray for them and give them over to God. It will consume you if you try to get too wrapped up in their life. It hurts to see them lost but you can't waste your time on somebody who doesn't want to change or won't take the necessary steps needed for change. It's only God who can reach them and change their heart. Keep walking tall men and be a positive light to those in need and who want to grow in the things of the Lord but don't lose yourself in trying to fix them. This will only discourage you. Only God is able to change their heart. They need Christ! Stay on your path as God's man.


The ones we care about the most sometimes cut us the deepest. Even Christ was rejected by his own kind.