Our Guide

 

^“The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” –Isaiah 58:11

We as men all need to claim this verse and hold it close to our hearts in our walk as Christian men. This verse is a promise from God to us. We are continually in a battle against the way of the world and the things that trip us up in our walk that hurt our relationship with God Almighty. It’s a daily challenge to be a God’s man and to avoid just going along with the crowd to feed our flesh with the things of this world while focusing on self and what we can get out of this life. We are called by God to live apart from the world and if we do this his blessings will follow. It’s easy to get swayed into thinking about things through the mind of our flesh and the world. We must ask ourselves though, “Do I trust God’s way is best according to what the Bible says and am I willing to base my life on it out of complete surrender to him?”

God guides us along to the true path of righteousness and right living. He doesn’t just throw us to the wolves of the world and expect us to fend for ourselves. He speaks to us through his word and the Holy Spirit’s leading on our life and impressions on our heart. He uses wise counsel of our Godly mentors and speaking the truth of the Bible. Men, if you want to be an effective leader in your relationships, get your rear out of bed and take the initiative to go to church and lead with devotions and prayer. Take the initiative to set boundaries in your dating relationships to respect her and do what’s right before God. Super tough, I know, but God desires it from us. Remember, God is looking for true men of his that aren’t flimsy in their faith and who aren’t ashamed of expressing their walk before God. This doesn’t mean you’ll be perfect but it does mean you will take the initiative to live a life pleasing to God and get back on the horse when you fall off in your spiritual walk. You need to do this for yourself and it needs to be important to you whether in a relationship or not. This reminds me of the opportunity to bow your head in prayer when you’re out to eat in public. This may seem small but it can be impactful to your relationships and to those around you. When I was a waiter in college and I saw families do this at their tables it was encouraging to my spiritual life to see that example and testimony of them being unashamed in their faith. This isn’t to throw it in people’s faces that you’re a Christian, but allowing yourself to be a testimony for God to open doors. We are never to throw our Christianity in people’s faces but we are called to be a light and example pointing people to Christ. Keep in mind everybody is on their own spiritual journey and that’s why it’s called a “personal relationship.” Don’t discount the impact your life and right living can be on those around you though.

Society’s women of God are crying for real men to lead their relationships toward things of God. Don’t leave them to take the reigns and do your responsibility before God as the leader of the relationship. You’re supposed to be a team and she’s not supposed to be dragging you around. Sure, she can be there to encourage you when you’re struggling but there shouldn’t be a constant pattern of you following her to Godliness. If this describes you, I would encourage you to take a break from the relationship to get your walk with God and affairs of the heart in order so you can return one day as a proper leader in the relationship and so your walk with God is back on track. Chances are you have your eyes fixed on yourself instead of God. I’ve been there often. Are you leading by example and does your walk match your talk? This is my biggest challenge that I fail daily on but we are to keep plugging away and not give up! We will never be perfect but that isn’t to be our excuse to stop fighting the good fight to do the right thing before God. Are you a leader as a man or are you just getting by with the normal, everyday stuff? The Lord is here to guide you and give you peace on your lifetime journey with him. Are you listening to him or are you going at it alone, thinking you know best for your own life? It’s time to wakeup and start listening to what God wants for your life to reach your full potential as a man, peer, boyfriend, husband, and father. Stop making excuses for coasting through life. The relationships around you are dependant on you getting your walk with God handled.

God has given everyone a roadmap for their life, called the Bible. Let’s open it up.