What does it take to be a Christian man?

Hi Bill, As I read your e-mail this morning it made me ask myself, “What is reality in a Christian’s life?” What does it take to be a Christian man? What does God expect of me?

Because God knows me completely, inside and out, He knows not to expect too much from me. He knows that apart from Him, I can do nothing. But by His grace, He has given me some wonderful tools. He has given me prayer, the privilege of walking into the throne room and telling him exactly what is going on in my life and seeking the help I need. He has given me the ability, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

How does a man become transformed? By using the tool called CHOICE. We use the tool continually all through the day, whether it is consciously or unconsciously. When we wake up we can consciously decide to live our day to glorify our Lord. By not consciously choosing to do so, we unconsciously make the choice not to. We can consciously decide to work at having a better relationship with our wife and our children or by not consciously choosing to do so, we unconsciously make the choice not to. Any day we wish; we can discipline ourselves to change it all. Any day we wish; we can open the book that will open our mind to new knowledge. Any day we wish; we can start a new activity. Any day we wish; we can start the process of life change. We can react to a situation or consciously choose to respond to the situation. We can do it immediately, or next week, or next month, or next year. We can also do nothing. We can pretend rather than perform. If the idea of having to change ourselves makes us uncomfortable, we can remain as we are. We can choose rest over labor, entertainment over education, delusion over truth, and doubt over confidence.

The choices are ours to make. But while we curse the effect, we continue to nourish the cause. As Shakespeare uniquely observed, "The fault is not in the stars, but in ourselves." We created our circumstances by our past choices. We also have to take the sole responsibility for those choices. We have both the ability, given by God, and the responsibility to make better choices beginning today. Those who are in search of a Godly life do not need more answers or more time to think things over to reach better conclusions. They need the truth. They need the whole truth. And they need nothing but the truth. We cannot allow our errors in judgment, repeated every day, to lead us down the wrong path. We must keep coming back to those basics that make the biggest difference in how our life works out. And then we must make the very choices that will bring life, happiness and joy into our daily lives. And if I may be so bold to offer my last piece of advice for someone seeking and needing to make changes in their life - If you don't like how things are, change it! You're not a tree. You have the God given ability to totally transform every area in your life - and it all begins with your very next choice. Now just do it! And that is reality. When we walk to the edge of all the light we have, and we make the choice to take the step into the darkness of the unknown, we must believe that one of two things will happen. God will provide something solid for us to stand on... or He will teach us to fly." – Paul Marshall

Wretched 'rescued' man that I am...

You know, I'm always trying to reconcile my faith in God through my Belief in Jesus Christ with the reality of what is going on in my private life.

You know what I mean, right? That private life we all lead and hope no-one else can see too clearly. You have one, right? Of course you do....

Anyway, since we all have one, you may be like me.... I'm always running into my weakness and slothfulness and 'worldliness' and falling short of what I read in the Bible or expect to be as a Christian man.

I feel so guilty everyday, many times, every few hours, about what I am thinking, saying and doing in my actual life vs what I know I am called to be as an example of a Christian man.

Paul relates to this paradox when he talks about his private life in Romans 7

"23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin."

Paul, the greatest Apostle and self proclaimed 'greatest of sinners' admits that he has this same paradox. He reconciles his condition and proclaims that God, through Jesus Christ has rescued him.

Our Belief and faith in God through Jesus Christ is the only way out from our private lives. This does not mean, I believe, that we will be pure or holy, but that through our faith in Him we are able to practice godliness, self-control and, most importantly, empathy for others because we know we are all the same.... in our private lives.

We know that our rescue came from our faith in God through Jesus Christ, so we are forgiven and clean and equiped by His Spirit to 'put on' the wonderful attributes of God's spirit; love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, perseverence, godliness, brotherly kindness, self-control and to grow in the knowledge of God. And, Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1:8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We are sinful beings, but it is the saving grace of God that has allowed us to get past our 'private lives' of sinfulness and to grow in the knowledge of God that we can ACT in love and hope and faith in this world.

Amen...

Love you all;