Heart of a Man: Part 2 - have we got what it takes?

Have I got What it Takes?

Society has been great at raising boys to become... boys.

Is the church much the same..?

So we've talked through the breakdown of the Masculine spirit and heart, our image of God as our Father and the idea of what our impressions are of our father and impact that has had on us.

The framework of finding something in our heart worth fighting for, stepping up to the plate so to speak. To answer the question: Have I got what it takes?

“To give a man back his heart is the hardest mission on eartth”

“Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out”...Proverbs 20:22

Out of the heart of a man, spring the issues of life... Proverbs

So the question in my mind, is “how do I answer the question: Do I have what it takes to be the man?”

I think another way to ask this is: Do I think other people see me more as a “nice guy” or as a “man of substance, a man of influence?”

Becuase a good measure is, am I my own man? i.e am I comfortable in my own skin, my own presence, or do I put a front up? Better still, can I be honest with God and stand up like a man to him.

So coming back to the question, how do I know I have what it takes..?

For many of the following statements are true:

No one has trained me in manhood
No one has initiated me in manhood
No one has validated me as a man reaching this milestone
My wife has never said: “you are the man of the house, the man of my life” (and with respect! Too!)
I have never heard God say: “'Insert name', you are my son, you're a man, becuase you have my heart and you are not intimidated to accept Me”

From my personal experience, I somewhat joke about the line to other single guys: a boy becomes a teenager when he get's married, but then he becmes a man when he has a child.

Hear me straight, I am not saying you have to have kids to be a man, but the converse is very true for many of my age group (30's), for single guys: they're teenagers in adult bodies, unable to committ, unable to save, unable to take the risk of having kids and accepting that the world is not about Saturday night, the next OS trip and the next upgrade of the BMW. But I digress.

So let's focus on one are that may help answer this question: Do I have what it takes?

Our Wives
Just think about the woman you married: She captiavted you, made you feel like a million bucks, a hero, a man. You won her heart, her trust, she opened herself up to you and you felt like you could be her man, her protector, her lover.

Years go on, she know's your patterns, habits, she sleeps with you, feeds you, has your kids... and how do you feel about your “manliness” today around her.

She had the power to validate you as a man, and she has the power to invalidate you.

Do you respect the deepest desires of your heart and the deepest truth that you need validation as a man? Do you have self repsect?

Next week we'll go through the initiation into manhood and finding the most important initiation: our heavenly father's voice