“God has made you a man, so you are a real man. You have been made in His image.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today –June 6, 2023
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 1 John 3:16
I recently spoke with a man who said he stopped holding doors open for women. “I did that once for a woman and she gave me the nastiest look I have ever seen! You should have seen the hatred in her eyes! Now, I don’t open doors for women anymore.”
We live in a culture where our society—and sometimes women—“encourage” men to stand down by belittling them, saying that all men are useless, blaming men for things that aren’t their fault, and perhaps by snarling at them when they hold open doors.
But man, listen up! You. Are. Needed. Needed. There is a reason you are under attack. You are under attack because Satan knows that without the leadership and strength God has given you, our society, and families will fall apart. Children will suffer. Women will feel unloved, unprotected, and uncared for. Yes, women have gifts that are uniquely their own. But women cannot do what you can do, man. (And, of course, you cannot do what a woman can do.) This is God’s unique—and good—design.
Scripture says the Lord created them male and female in the Garden of Eden. No matter that the media, extreme feminism, or shaming voices try to silence you, you must remember that God made men—and He made them for a reason. He made you for a reason.
First, without men, the population would cease to exist (just as it would cease to exist without women.) It takes both men and women to make families.
Next, we need men to stand up and be men no matter what voices come against them because we need the spiritual strength and leadership of men. Of course, not authoritarian leadership that is expressed through bullying, but leadership that is embraced by men who know they have a Heavenly Father who is protecting, providing for, leading, and guiding them. We need men who don’t lean on their own self-sufficiency but on God’s. Men who are firmly connected to their heavenly Father are the kind of men the world needs because they show the world God and His love. Earthly man, you are a mirror of your Heavenly Father.
So, it’s no wonder that men are under spiritual attack.
The Adversary knows that men are God’s fingerprint of authority, leadership, guidance, protection, and provision on the earth. If the world can get you to shut up, stand down, stop leading, stop providing, and stop caring because you fear failing or being shamed, then there is a vacuum that this world cannot fill—and those around you will suffer. You matter greatly.
If you are a father, this is especially true. Your children need you to connect with and know your Heavenly Father who is cheering you on, so you can represent the God to your children who is cheering them on.
In his article, “Dads Are to Be Earthly Mirrors of a Heavenly Reality,” Roland Warren writes:
Over the years, God has shown me that the attack on the institution of fatherhood and the strategy to make fathers unloving and ineffective is a primary goal of Satan himself. Why? Because if fathers are distant, distracted, disconnected, or even abusive, children will believe all fathers are this way, [including their] heavenly Father . . . [who] claims to love them unconditionally.
Man, the world needs you. We need your voice, conviction, logic, protection, provision, guidance, problem solving, and your physical and spiritual strength. Others may have told you that you are not a real man. But God has made you a man, so you are a real man. You have been made in His image. You are His image bearer. The world needs you to keep stepping up.
And that woman who doesn’t respect you when you open the door for her? Do it anyway. Just bow your head, give her a wink and a smile, and tell her, “God bless your day!” Keep being the awesome man that you are.
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NKJV).
Prayer
Lord, I thank you that you have made me a man. I thank you for the role that being a man gives me to fill. I thank you that because you have made me a man that you want to give me all that I need to fill my role successfully so that the world can see you more clearly. I will keep being the man that you want me to be. Amen.
Application
Talk with the Lord about what you learned today and then listen to see what he wants to say to you.
Related Reading
1 Corinthians 16:13; Proverbs 28:1; Psalm 112:7
Worship Resource
Hillsong Worship: You Are My Strength
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