Intro

Manhood. What is it?

According to popular culture or shall we say the not-so-pop-but-more-hick culture, a man is someone who gets drunk at the bar, drives a pickup truck, shoots guns, plays the six string, and "tries on a new woman" every day. "Pop" culture only gets worse. Tune into any typical downtown pop/rock station and it doesn't take long to pick up on their definition.

Don't those definitions bother anyone else?

I mean seriously. This thought of "what a man is" has been going strong for years. Christians have just refined some of this to make it a little more acceptable to their "church culture". To many Christians, a man is defined by driving a pick-up, shooting guns, being ripped and strong, playing the six-string, loving "your own woman" until death, and working hard "to the point of nothing left" if that is what it takes. Notice the similarities?

Are these traits and characteristics bad? No!

Are these a terrible way to define a man?

Yes. But why?

Shooting guns, driving a pick-up, and playing an instrument are not bad. Loving your wife until death, showing commitment, and working hard are things men are called to by God so why aren't they what define a man? If they are good or at least normal things, why can't we peg them into the definition of a man?

Because that is not how God defines us.

You may wonder, "ok. Good point. But... what is God's definition of being a man?" Good question. I am asking that right now. Over this next week (aka spring break, *yay* :) I intend to dig into His Word and find that definition. Why?

Because I need to be that man. Not a man of the world but a man of God, standing for Him and living a life like His.

Because as I have been surrounded by this world's culture, I've begun to believe their lies and it scares me. I need to reestablish my roots.

This journey will be hard because in some ways what God calls us to be is so counter-culture. But it will be rewarding because I know that God's Word will not return void and worthless.

Rest.

No need for confusion..

Life has provided many ups and downs for me in the past month. It seems that once I've recovered from the up, I'm in a down and the other way around. It's been a time of self-discovery, and a time of self-confusion. Learning, and finding out how much needs learned. A time that says, "hey you, you've got issues" and then, "hey you, you are flying high". A time that will ultimately be for my good as Paul tells us, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Still, I can't help being confused. I mean seriously, life made so much sense, but now it doesn't. When did I stay from the simple, understandable path? When did I "grow up" past the magic and the sparkling excitement, uncertainty, and hope in the world? Why did I try to solidify everything in my life instead of just trust God to make sense of the unsensible?

Why have I lost my sense of w o n d e r?

Why have we put ourselves in the place of God?

Since when did we develop the ability to know, discern, and create what we think is...

... t r u t h?

How do we determine that fine line of truth and myth?

Is that even possible?

What is truth?

Thankfully for us this fine line, this hunting of truth is not left up to us,

It's up to Him.

The moment that we place ourselves above Him, we are in trouble. Big trouble. Our doctrines and beliefs start crumbling, and we lose our sure footing in Christ's promises. Whenever there is something that doesn't make sense, but Scripture says it is true, the key is to remember these key points:

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)

"The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law."(Deuteronomy 29:29)

God really does make it simple for us to understand..

...just trust Me.

We also need a sense of wonder. As Aslan says in Narnia, "There is a deep magic that governs this land, deeper than any known magic."

News flash.

We don't understand everything. 

There is a deeper knowledge to this world, one that we can't understand because we are finite. Only God can understand everything and the fact that he does understand it should instill a sort of awe into our hearts and lives.

Losing this sense of wonder is recreating God.

Recreating a God that is so similar to ourselves...

...that he can be ignored.

So don't listen when they tell you that, "it isn't important what you believe...it doesn't matter if you think the Bible is not true or reliable...who cares about creation anyway as long as we believe God loves us. We can redeem ourselves."

Because it is important what you believe. What they say is false.

Let men be liars, and God be true...

...and go find some wonder in the world.