A Beautiful Surrender

 

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

Men, claim this verse as your own each and every day of your life. You are going to need it all throughout your life to be able to rely on for your hope when things that you can’t understand happen. Like the times people do things to you that are completely out of your control. But don’t get frustrated when you are wronged because our God is much more powerful and has the final say. God might just be using it to show you new things he has for you. Maybe it’s not as bad as you originally thought it was. Remember, God can use the good and bad in your life to work his plan. God has a unique, specific plan for you. You are the only person who can fulfill this unique plan for your life. That is why you need to stay close to God and strive to follow his will for your life so you don’t go off course and miss blessings because you didn’t obey him. It remind me of the story of the man who died and went to Heaven and when he got to God’s judgment seat, he looked off in the distance and saw a huge stack of amazing things piled high that looked really desirable. He turned to God and asked, “What are all those beautiful things over there, God?” God looks over at him with a sad face, and says, “Those are all the blessings I had for you if you would have just stayed close to me and obeyed what I told you to do while you were on earth.” What a tragic thought! Don’t go through life faced to confront the “what if” mentality on the other side of eternity because you didn’t surrender to God’s calling on your life.

God can still overcome the obstacles we create for ourselves and get us on the right path, but the sad thing is we waste so much time and energy when we disobey and don’t listen to his prompting on our hearts. There are consequences for not trusting and following God’s will and his way of doing things. He knows best for our lives, guys! We can’t see the whole picture but he knows where it began and how it ends. It’s like the person who is standing too close to a painting and trying to figure why the artist put a dash of red here and a splash of black there. If they would just step back they would see the beautiful masterpiece of the painting with all the magnificent colors put perfectly in place on the canvass. This is exactly how it is with you and God in your life. Let the Artist work on the masterpiece that is your life; even when you can’t understand why he would allow something to happen. God is writing on you men. Let him make something beautiful of your life by giving yourself completely over to him. Remember the saying that says, “You can’t see the forest through the trees sometimes.” This is saying you can’t see much what’s in front of you when you’re caught up in a tough situation but stay the course and listen for God’s voice and his leading. He has the bird’s eye view and knows exactly where you’re at and will meet you there. You can’t escape him.

God is not here to hold us back or cause harm. He uses unfortunate experiences in life to mold and shape us for his glory. Only he knows tomorrow and what he needs to teach you to pass life’s tests. Determine today to simply trust him throughout your life and give him permission to mold you into the man he wants you to become. Only he knows what is best for you!

In surrender there is peace and rest because He holds tomorrow in His hand.

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.

The Motions

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” –Matthew 6:7

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” –Ephesians 2: 19-20

 Men, do you ever feel as if you’re just going through the motions of life as a Christian? Has your prayer life become stale and your obedience unauthentic and repetitious? Do you ever feel like you’re seeking a religion rather than a personal relationship with God? It’s easy in life to get side tracked and feel distant from God. Many times we start seeking religious activities such as going to church, singing praise songs just because, saying the right words amongst our Christian peers but when we lay our head on the pillow at night we feel distant from God with no fire or passion for his way of living. We grow stagnant in our faith and before we know it we have no victory over our sin and flesh. Sadly, this happens to most Christians at some time or another and it’s a big reason we are called hypocrites and give Christians a bad name.

Men, it’s time to get back to our First Love which is Christ. How do we do that you might ask? It starts by getting back on our knees and asking for forgiveness out of a repentant spirit and asking him to give us his holy passion in our lives to see his face to obey him because of his love for us. Just like a house needs a cornerstone and strong point to keep it upright so too if Christ isn’t at the center of our lives as the cornerstone, then everything can crumble and become unbalanced.  Remember when you first accepted Christ and that change that came over you? Ask God to take you back to a fresh and new relationship with him. Ask him to take the clouds of your heart and mind away and to desire him again. He wants you to chase directly after him and not a religion or pious act. He didn’t make you to be an actor in your relationship. He wants authentic, real worship for him. Ask for forgiveness and ask him to renew your mind and heart and to give you a genuine love for him again. Wake up men! Stop coasting in your life and going through the motions of Christianity! No wonder our prayer lives and obedience to fight the flesh become ineffective! We’ve become unplugged from the Source of our life. We’ve stepped away from the personal relationship with Christ that gives us victory in our stand and have just become religious instead of authentic!  

There’s a song by Matthew West that pertains to this very thing. The first verse lyrics are as follows:

"This might hurt, it's not safe

But I know that I've gotta make a change

I don't care if I break

At least I'll be feeling something

'Cause just okay is not enough

Help me fight through the nothingness of life

 I don't wanna go through the motions

I don't wanna go one more day

without Your all consuming passion inside of me

I don't wanna spend my whole life asking

'What if I had given everything

instead of going through the motions?"

Men, get back in touch with God in your personal relationship. Stop going through the motions of life. Start living alive and free again as a Christian man of God! Start receiving his strength and power to overcome temptation and to get victory in your life. Remember, in God’s design he planned for you to be the head of your family. You have a lot of responsibility and people counting on you. You need an authentic Christ-centered walk. Re-embrace your faith today!

 Religious acts without authentic love are worthless.

The Power of the Tongue

“The tongue has the power of life and death,

and those who love it will eat its fruit.” –Proverbs 18:21

“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

 and discerning if they hold their tongues.” –Proverbs 17:28

“When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.” –James 3:3-6

Guys, if you’re anything like me then that little red thing inside your mouth has got you into trouble more times than you can count! Do you realize that we hold the power of death and life with one of the smallest members of our body? Our tongue can build people up around us to reach great heights or we can use it to tear people down and hold them back from going after their goals and dreams. The words we say to a person can be powerful! They can be enlightening and push someone to reach their full potential or we can destroy somebody’s world by our words. Usually, people remember the bad stuff we say to them. Think about when you were growing up. You can probably still recall the horrible names you were called or the bad things people said about you. It hurts doesn’t it? The bad things people said usually stick with us longer than the positive things said unfortunately. Do you also realize that we usually hurt and say unkind things to those we love the most and who are closest to us? We need to check ourselves, guys. I battle this all the time! I’m good at bringing people up but also very good at saying whatever comes to mind whether good or bad as if my filter is broken and making unkind comments.
 

If you have the gift of exhortation then you most likely have this love-hate relationship with the words that come out of your mouth too. The Bible says though that even a fool when he learns to hold his tongue is considered wise in that moment. I guess we should be biting that tongue extra hard! My teacher used to say to me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, then don’t say anything at all.” How true that statement is and relates to our day to day. The tongue is so small like a ship’s rudder but controls our whole body. We all know that one guy who has a lot to offer other people but the things that come out of his mouth are just annoying or ugly. Or how about on the other side of the equation we know that one person who always has a kind word to offer and is very encouraging and you swear you can hear harp strings and doves flying over every time they say a word of praise. Exaggerated yes, but what a great opportunity each and every one of us has to lift our fellow brothers and sisters up in the Lord and the unsaved people we encounter daily to show them a slice of God’s love for them through our words.
 

Another thing to consider is there are many people who never reached their full potential for their life and stopped pursuing their dreams and somewhere along the way they stopped trying and allowed themselves to get bitter. Don’t let these people hold you back from your going after what you want to achieve in this lifetime. Often, they attack you and try to hold you back to avoid the guilt it brings to them by seeing you achieve success. They often will try to hold you down to their level. Don’t allow this to happen. Recognize that often this is just them projecting themselves onto you and misery always loves company. Men, start today coming from a positive place with your words to others. If you’re already doing this and being careful with what you say, then great job! Keep it going! The world needs more encouraging men like you. There’s so much darkness and ugliness in this world with people tearing each other down. Let’s work on trying to always come from a positive place inside to offer some of God’s joy and light to others.

You can work at being the best person possible inside and out but if you don’t control the tongue it can ruin your testimony and how people view you.

A Ferocious Beast Awaits

 

“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” – Matthew 26:41

“And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith.

 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” – 2 Thessalonians 3:2-5

Men, let’s go on a quick journey in our minds and leave the comfort of our current state. Imagine you’re about to open a door of your life where on the other side there is an evil, ever present 3 headed, fire breathing dragon that has the deepest, darkest, most ravishing hatred for your heart for God and he will stop at no cost to consume you and destroy those loved ones around you that you care about so deeply. Not only does this 3 headed dragon want to eat you alive but he wants to destroy whatever ministry you’re a part of, whatever brings you joy, whatever allows you to feel, whatever is pure and good, whatever brings you fulfillment in your life. He wants to destroy any hope you have in a better future in God’s will and wants to keep you from reaching your full potential as a sold out man of God, a loving husband and father. If that wasn’t enough, this monster that stands for everything that is dark and evil wants to infect your future family blood lines with his evil and destroy those who carry your family crest and name just like he wants to do to you at this moment as soon as you open that door.

Men, this 3 headed, fire breathing dragon is called “Temptation.” He lurks in deep dark corners and is constantly on attack waiting to pounce until he doesn’t even have to disguise himself anymore because so many have already made friends with him and are no longer picking up a sword to fight. Many of these so-called “men” have caved into the pressure of this monster and have thrown down their sword, shield, and armor of God. Many have given up because it’s easier to be friends with this dragon than to fight him any longer. “It’s too hard,” they say. They have lost their way and now they and their future generations will be paying the price. Many of these men started out determined as ready warriors to take on this challenge before them but have fallen during the battle and have grown weak and tired and have become exposed to the enemy’s advances. The Bible says, “Watch and pray let you fall into temptation.” Men! Pray! Drop to your knees for God’s strength! Don’t be like these warriors who have tried to do it in their own strength and maybe put up a descent fight only to be blind-sided by another blow of the enemy, leaving them in shell shock that lead to their defeat. In the movie “Gladiator,” as the prisoners were waiting in the hallway tunnel that lead to the Coliseum arena where the ferocious enemy awaited to kill them, their fearless leader, Maximus speaks out and says, “Whatever is behind those doors, we have a better chance at defeating if we stick together!” Stick with God and get an accountability partner, men. If you know you’re about to go into a tempting situation and there is no way to run from it or avoid it then before you go into the situation, grab a buddy and pray, tell him you need encouragement and council. Ask him to text you throughout the night to help keep your mind on the things of the Lord and to keep fighting the battle. If you don’t have an accountability partner guys, GET ONE! I used to think I was ok without one! Man, was I wrong! How much better my life has gotten since incorporating this into my walk as a Christian!

 

God wants to protect you from the evil one but he still gives you the choice to do the right thing or not. He’ll give you strength but he won’t just magically make everything disappear. He WILL make a way of escape, men. The question is, “Do you see the way of escape in the moment to take it and do you want to win this current battle bad enough?” This very challenge could be for your very life this moment. Big life changes happen in split moments with the decisions and choices you make any given second. Persevere men of courage and men of God! Ask for a mind change, a heart change, and a way to escape the temptation waiting just outside that door. Remember, he wants to eat you alive and destroy your soul. He’ll never stop trying to destroy you this side of death! Take hope though men because the more battles you win in the moment, the easier it will be to overcome this monster called “Temptation” moving forward. Are you ready man of God? Look around you this very moment, who’s willing to go to battle with you? Who’s in your corner cheering you on to victory in God’s strength? That dragon-monster called “Temptation” lurking out there could be in the form of a beautiful 120 pound woman or an enticing magazine cover or a bachelor party night on the town. Just remember, we have a better chance at defeating whatever is on the other side of that door if we STICK TOGETHER.

Drive your stake so far down temptation’s throat that you setup your future generations to defeat it as well.

A Letter from a Man's Heart

“Do not lust in your heart after her beauty or let her captivate you with her eyes.” –Proverbs 6:25
 

Men, below is a letter that was written after being fed up with several intense conversations I’ve had with women over the years and seeing girls on social media sights and in public using their sexuality to seduce guys. I watched these guys play right into these girls’ hands as if they were sheep being lead to the slaughter. These so called “men” just made themselves look so weak. I was frustrated too that I could feel this very tug on my body to want to give in and lust after these women and many times falling into it myself. I felt this needed to be said and men and women alike should listen up. Read the letter below and see what comes to mind in your own life and what you may need to address. Maybe there’s a woman in your life that needs to hear the truth and you would be bold enough to pass this on to help her understand the heart of a man better and the role she plays in relation to you.
 

 “I have to get this out! Guys can we please stop making ourselves look like idiots & dogs in heat by praising girls who use just their beauty & sexuality to get our attention?! I am included in this! I mean c'mon! How pathetic can we make ourselves look?! I'm so sick of girls using their bodies & manipulating us guys to satisfy their insecure need for approval & attention. Instead, we should get real with these mislead ladies in a respectful way & tell her to put some clothes on because it's distracting us from getting to know her heart as a true person & not just an object. These women have a hole that no man can fill. It's called being broken. Help us ladies help you & please stop complaining that all a guy wants from you is sex or that you're just viewed as his trophy! That's because instead of holding out to see if a guy is worth it, you date these idiots & think all men are that way. It's time to take some responsibility for why you keep attracting these kinds of guys! I really don't want to hear one more sob story because of your bad choices. Guys, we need to tell these girls that she's devaluating her worth as a woman & it's so unattractive. Sure a guy will sleep with a girl like this but he sure won't respect her & usually will leave after he's done getting what he really wanted in the first place. Boys will run to a girl who flaunts her sexuality as if it's all she has to offer but real men will stand firm. Ladies, please stop casting your valuable diamonds to dogs! The way to have your body respected, your heart cherished, & your essence as a woman adored is by respecting yourself enough & knowing your self-worth & value enough to not need all these boys approval just based on your sexual allure. You have a choice to not accept this kind of behavior from guys! Walk away!

 I personally would feel more special as your future husband if your sexy body was saved for me & not just offered up to any Joe Schmoe to see. There are 2 kinds of attention from a man: Lustful attention & real authentic heart-centered attention. You need to take a look at your pictures & outfits & ask yourself what kind of bait you are fishing with. You'll catch the kind of fish based on what you put on the hook. Also ladies, you don’t have to be the most beautiful woman in the room or even that attractive at all. You still have this allure as a woman when you sell yourself to the public eye in this lustful manner by showing off your “lady parts.” I can tell you though that the attention you get will be temporary, fleeting, & empty based out of unauthentic praise & a man’s double motive to get only what he wants from you. Sure it can be exciting at first but it’ll lead you down a broken & lost path for your heart. It doesn’t matter if you don’t think that you’re that pretty outwardly& just want to use your body to attract this attention. You are playing into this. Please stop looking for shallow approval just to make yourself feel noticed. It's empty. If I can encourage you in anyway please just know & believe that you are APPROVED of & God adores you & you don't need my or any other guy's approval out there! Your true self-worth & respect for yourself has to come from within! Any girl can get attention just based on her body. Take a look at prostitutes. See! Guys usually take their cues from the way you present yourself, even godly men! And for men, let’s stop blaming our gross behavior on "being a guy." Being called a MAN takes effort & sacrifice. Let's hold ourselves to a higher standard even when most of these hurting girls don't. Let's stop leaving these women to pick up our slack as we bruise their hearts & trample all over them! Let's stand up men of God & lead! To be the boyfriends, husbands, & fathers who will be there for our children & their mothers. We need to stop being so selfish & weak! Grow up & do your responsibility absent fathers! I personally want to be respected & not manipulated & distracted to like a girl just based on how sexy she looks. At the end of the day substance lasts. This is just my thought on this matter. -Sincerely, the Heart of a Man trying to be Authentic”
 

 What does this bring up for you when you read this, men? Does your heart cry out and challenge you to stop going along with the crowd and being lead around by your crotch? Take back your sexuality and use it as the driving force to protect these women in your life, even from your own sinful nature! This is the true path to authentic manhood and being a God’s man!

Am I leaving the woman I encounter better off for having known me or am I being lead around by my lust?

It's a God Thing

"But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." - 2 Corinthians 3:16-18

 

Men, let's discuss this passage of Scripture above and how it applies to our lives today. The main thing we need to remember is that God is in the heart-changing business. The Bible tells us that once someone gives themselves over to let the Lord work in their life and on their heart the blinders are taken off of their eyes. Before we accept Jesus Christ into our hearts we are blind to truly understanding who Christ really is and the true implications of having a personal relationship with him. We don't truly understand the magnificence of his love until we accept him as our personal Savior and the Lord of our life. Have you ever heard the expression, "It's a God thing." Being a Christian doesn't make complete sense until you experience it for yourself and feel the change that comes over your heart and behavior.

The Bible also speaks of Satan blinding man's eyes to the truth of salvation. This is why so many are lead astray and can't see that the true answer to their life is turning to Christ and surrendering to his plan for their life. People tend often to think that Christianity or being "born again" is just some "religion" and not for them. Many times they don't believe that Christ will truly be the answer to find meaning to their life. How wrong they are! How blind! Often times people will run from the very thing that they need in their life to be made whole. They run from salvation and turning to Christ. The passage above tells us that there is freedom in the Spirit of the Lord which lives inside our hearts once we accept him and he takes the blinders off our eyes and opens us to a whole new outlook of life. Once we do this, we are never alone another minute! We have the Holy Spirit living in our heart and touching our conscience leading us along life's path. It's up to us to listen to his prompting though.

Once we become a true follower of Christ we can start seeing the Lord and his goodness. It is then that he begins his work in our life changing and molding us into the men of God that he desires us to become. This is the power of God which can turn alcoholics and drug addicts into devout followers of Christ who turn around and use their story to help those who are hurting with the same addiction they once experienced. The power to give a sex addict freedom to break the chains of immorality. The power to restore a broken marriage and the list goes on and on. You may ask, "But can't addicts get freedom from their addiction without turning to Christ?" The answer is absolutely yes, but you will find that people who put their faith and trust in something and Someone greater than themselves will many times find the breakthrough they seek and it will be a real authentic change. There's power in the name of Christ. Reflect on that today, men. The God of the Bible who parted the Red Sea, who healed the sick, who brought dead people back to life, who made food multiply right before people's eyes, who helped prostitutes change their lifestyle, who forgave people who tortured him, who died and rose again, yes him, he is available to you at this very moment. God never changes. He's the same today as he was back in the Bible days. Embrace the freedom that he offers by turning to him. Maybe you've fallen away from your walk and need to surrender and rededicate your life to him. Go for it! Don't waste another day men.

God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.