But How?!

 

“Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us strip off and throw aside every unnecessary weight and that sin that so easily clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us.” –Hebrews 12:1

“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said (thought, done, etc.) will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” –Luke 12:2-3

“It is God who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him.” –Daniel 2:22

“For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” -2 Chronicles 16:9a

As men we hear it said often that we need to be men of character and integrity keeping ourselves pure in our attitudes, thoughts, and actions. We hear how we need to stay away from pornography, lust, pre-marital sex, lying, stealing, cheating, gossiping, fighting, partying, etc. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself, “But HOW do I stay away from that and how do I get back up when I fail miserably in one, several, or all of these areas?”

The great news for us as men is that God is very forgiving! He knows we were formed from mere dust so he knows we’re not going to always be on-point in our obedience and he has made provisions to work through our shortcomings and wrong doings. However, God calls us men to live lives set apart from the world’s view and style of living. You may ask, “But how do I get on track with having the right motives and how do I live a God-honoring lifestyle when I’m pulled in so many directions in this lifetime?” It’s true, it’s very counter-cultural living the lifestyle God is asking us to live to gain victory as Christian men. It’s a huge struggle for me as a man to stay unblemished from the world. I know there are even times that I allow myself to take pleasure in a sinful lifestyle around certain people while God looks down at me in compassionate-disappointment for allowing myself to go there at all. Men, being a true man of integrity and character means living this way 24/7, 365 days a year and when you fall, repent, turn away, and get back on the right path in God’s will. We don’t get a free ticket to sin based on the company we keep in certain settings. This is very hypocritical and gives Christians a bad name. I struggle with this all the time too guys.

So how do we do this? “Where do we start,” you may ask? First off, we start with prayer. Ask God to expose those hidden motives and agendas that are deeply rooted in your heart, keeping you from getting victory over your sin. Secondly, repent! Ask for forgiveness and run away from that sin that keeps tripping you up! Take that beast of a sin and cast him out into the street and expose him for what he is! A thief of your purity, a liar, and pure demonic evil! Thirdly, ask God for wisdom to see when and where your “trip-ups” are coming and ask for strength to not only see them coming, but for strength to walk away from them and to take a new path away from that sin that trips you up. Knowing something negative is coming and being prepared is half the battle! This could mean putting a parental block on certain late night channels, not going on the internet when nobody is around, not sitting next to the kid who helps you cheat on the test, avoiding that guy at work who’s always putting a bug in your ear about how badly your company is treating you as an employee, or setting boundaries with your girlfriend. Fourthly, get in the Word. It’s your strength and shield to defeat these sins. You may be like me when I used to think, “Oh, I can pray but don’t ask me to go too crazy and read, study, and memorize the Bible all the time.” Well, that was just foolish on my part because that is our sword and shield that gives us wisdom to get victory over the sin that takes us away from the things of the Lord. Men, striving to be men of obedience, character, and integrity to fulfill our responsibility to be obedient to God needs to be our number one priority each day! God is looking for men like this with a heart centered on him to do great things through. So stand up and obey so he will see the sacrifice of your heart contrary to the ways of the world and will shine his bright light on your life. He’s waiting and looking for you men. When you fall as I do daily, get back up! Don’t stay down! He’s going to use that shortcoming for his glory in some way, shape, or form but you are called to get back up in his strength so he can rebuild you more firm and deeply rooted in him so you don’t fall so easily the next time. Learn from your mistakes men or you’ll keep repeating them. This is the path to leadership and manhood, one step, stumble, and fall at a time. Don’t give up!

Everybody falls but those that get back up again persevere to greatness.