Go Ahead ........ It's OK

When was the last time that you told your fellow man that you loved him? For those of us who have either younger or older siblings, when did you last tell him how much he meant to you? This has become sort of taboo in today’s society, given the nature of man today. Can you tell him that you love him without adding “man” at the end? We say that we are comfortable enough to do it, so go ahead. It’s ok. Tell him that you love him. He will appreciate it.

Why Wait

Men have often used the phrase, "I will wait until I get myself together" before making a decision to settle down. We want to make sure we are "together". Allow me to submit to you that we will miss out on the greatest relationship if we keep waiting before we say yes to Jesus Christ. He will accept us just as we are, and not only that, He will help us "get it together". So why wait? Try Christ. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

P.U.S.H.

I don’t think that there are too many people who have not heard this phrase before. If they have not heard it, they may have seen it on several occasions. This phrase normally means Pray Until Something Happens. However, I want to put a new version of it out there: Pursue Until Something Happens. Too often we as Christian men, and men in general, tend to back off if nothing happens in the timeframe that we have so graciously “allotted” for something to manifest. We will usually say that it wasn’t meant to be if it doesn’t happen. But I believe that we have forgotten to pursue, literally go after, that which we know should happen. For those who are married or in a committed relationship, this concept was most prevalent in chasing our mate. Pursue my friend, pursue. A piece of advice: do not mistake God’s delay for denial.

Think on this .........

If you have the resources to help someone turn their life around for the better, would you not use them? If the gift of deliverance was granted unto you, should you not give it as it was given to you? I have seen too many situations where someone remained lost because someone simply turned the other way. Where has the help gone? Where did the desire to be a blessing to someone else's life disappear to? Hezekiah Walker sang it so clearly: "I need you to survive". Please don't leave me out here wounded. Help me.

Make Time

I believe one of the problems of the world today is that we do not take the time to appreciate the finer things in life. In a world where the “finer” things in life consist of jewelry, money, fast cars, and beautiful women, the under-appreciated things that encompassed what could be easily defined as “finer” have simply gone under the radar. One very important thing is spending time. We have found other things to do with our time, but it seems that family only gets together on one of three occasions: a death, a marriage, or a national holiday that requires cooking. I believe that we need to embrace the art of spending time again, not just with family, but with God also. He is not a genie in a lamp, nor is He a quick fix when you find yourself in a bind. The latter part of Hebrews 11:6 declares that “He is a reward of them who diligently seek Him”. Webster defines “diligent” as: showing persistent and hard working effort in doing something. Persistence meaning on more than one occasion, not just when it is convenient for us. Spend time my friends with family, with friends, and most importantly, with God.

Under Control

The Bible declares in Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves”. We have to understand the concept here is that of self-control. In a movie I once watched, one line that forever stuck with me was that anger clouds the mind. I have yet to meet someone who made a sound judgment when they are controlled by anger. I just wanted to encourage anyone who is reading this to maintain a level of self-control. No, we won’t always been in the greatest of moods, nor will we always be around the most positive people. However, possessing a great amount of self control will prove its worth in the long run of life. So try to keep yourself under control, so that you do not spiral out of control and find yourself in place where you have no control.

The Return

Often times we as men have been labeled as a species that tends to not speak when it matters the most. Especially in these times, the man has, in a sense, forgotten his rightful place in life. Once we were the unquestioned leaders of generations. Our mouth piece determined the course of action for an unprecedented number of people. We ruled with an iron fist, while providing for our families with an uncompromised hand. Now we have taken a back seat for fear of not fitting in. Alternative discipline has now taken the place of what we were raised on while growing up. We have allowed women to raise our young men, while we as the “leader” have stepped further and further into their shadow. It is time for us as the “head” of the household to make our return to prominence. We must step up as this generation is in desperate need of guidance, leadership, motivation and discipline. When we do, it will mark the beginning of our reclaiming our homes and communites