Young (or old) Man, Be Strong!

Shane M. Jones, LSCSW

My thirteen-year-old son and I are reading through a book called, “Young Man, Be Strong”.  It is a delightful book written by, David G. Burkholder.  There is a simplicity to the book, however, it’s not simple in content, but in sharing the simple truths of God and how it applies to the lives of young men.  Well, let me tell you that this somewhat “old” father is really getting a lot out of the book too.  Burkholder reminds all of us that there are things in life that we should not only learn, but also never forget…

I have little time to go into the passion that God has been giving me these last few years and especially months to see men rise up to be who they are to be.  Not the men we “should be”, or “can be”, but are to be; the man God has full expectation of us becoming.  As John Eldredge writes about in his book, Wild at Heart, we as men spend too much of our time simply trying to be a nice guy, rather than being a man of God.  I would need to write many pages to go into more of what I mean, but let me say this, every man in his heart of hearts knows of what I speak when I say, “I am calling you out”.  Don’t hide in your den, garage, shop, office… silence, there is a world for you to master, yes master.  We are not to master others, but relationships, sin, and ourselves.  It’s as simple as this, we as men need to quit tolerating sin in our lives that we make excuses for, sin in a world that we don’t want to take the time to help rescue those whom God loves from.  Also, we need to decide to get past our comfort level in relationships with our girlfriend, wives & children, and master how to do those relationships more effectively.  You men who are married, have you addressed every concern, frustration, irritation, bitterness, that you know is an ongoing issue for you regarding your wife, even if it’s only an issue a few times a year?  Have you actually kept track to see how much you are initiating prayer with your wife, (only 1% of couples who pray together more than just at meals end up in divorce).  We are fools to not make prayer more a part of our relationship!  This is not about performing for others to, “be a nice guy” and “keep mama happy”, it’s about being tough when we are tempted to go silent, and wall off in our hurt, instead of pushing on.  We push on because our families, and this world need us to push on.  If we are soldiers in the army of God, then let’s make our Commander and Chief pleased with our service.  No one enters into military service and is able to hold to an idea that they should not have to face adversity, suffer pain, or even get shot at; it’s going to happen.  It doesn’t matter whether one is crawling forward on the beaches of Normandy or crawling forward taking the ground in his and his families lives; we are in a fight.  As Bill McCartney said at one of the first Promise Keepers events in Boulder CO, “men, we are in a war, but we have not been at war!”  Let’s get out of our foxholes and advance!

As men you could feel I have “brow beat” you in this short article, or you can hear that cry from deep within you that says, “I hear the calling out, I will rise up and fight a good fight, and never, never, never stop.  I am made in my makers image, He left His comfort, He ripped Himself apart, He gave himself up, no one took His life, He gave it, and I will too”.  It takes a man, a real man to do what I am talking about, one who’s vision is clear and course is set, and can answer the question, “who am I”!  “As Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her…”