| Manhood: 70 Things Every Man Needs to Know |
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| Written by Patrick Morley |
| Monday, May 23 2011 00:00 |
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42. Manhood All men want to lead successful lives. Of course, men often fail, but I don't think anyone would suggest they fail on purpose. This conflict between "the man I want to be" and "the man I am" is the central question of "What does it mean to be a man?" So what do men want? As noted in chapter 3, the list can be reduced to three things: (1) A cause we can give our lives to that will make a difference--a mission, significance, meaning, purpose; (2) A companion to share it with--wife, relationships, love, family, acceptance; and (3) A conviction that gives a reasonable explanation for why 1 and 2 are so difficult--a belief system, worldview, philosophy, religion. This is the essence of manhood--finding something we can give ourselves to, someone to share it with, and a system that explains how to make sense of our lives. These are God-given desires--what we were created to do. You will feel most alive, most significant, and most useful when you are doing what you were created to do. What keeps us from getting what we want? We have created a culture that requires more energy than most of us have to give. A lot of us catch a disease we might call "success sickness"--the disease of always wanting more, but never being satisfied when we get it. As a result, we are prone to get caught up in the rat race, lead unexamined lives, and become cultural Christians. For More: Go to www.pastoringmen.com and click on "42. Manhood" to see the Biblical Manhood series. Yours for changed lives, Patrick Morley, PhD
#423 © 2011. Patrick Morley. All rights reserved. This article may be reproduced |
