Be a Man

Today's Reading: Psalm 49 & 1 Corinthians 16

Scripture:
"Be on the alert, stand firm in faith, act like men, be strong." 1 Corinthians 16:13

Observation:
This verse is a great challenge to the men of God to be men of God.

Application:
Be on the Alert! I really struggle with this. There are so many distractions. Money, family, work, home maintenance, and other demands of life strip away my energy. I become distracted and my attentiveness slips away. There are days God Himself could walk past me and I would miss the encounter.

Stand firm in faith! Complacency, sinful habits, doubts, frustrations and my own selfish nature cut against my fellowship with God. Instead of my faith being firm, it often feels more like 50/50.

Act like men, be strong! There is no crying in baseball and there is no passivity in being a man of God. I am called to charge into the journey to which God has called me. All that I do is to be grounded in God's love and in submission to the spiritual leadership he has placed over me. Where ever I am and whatever I am doing I should always be moving forward in my journey.

Prayer:
In all that I do pray that You teach me to do it in love. I do not want to be mindlessly bound to my duty. Instead, I desire for all that I do be out of an overflow of the love You placed in my heart for the world around me.

I pray today that you allow me to submit to the authority You have placed over me. All leadership is ordained by You. You hold the hearts of my leaders in Your hand. Align my ambitions with the direction of those given to lead me.

Today I reject passivity. It is so tempting to drawback and play it safe, to give in to the distractions, or to allow my faith to fold. Opposition arises in all directions and every open door leads to a battle I must face. Help me face these battles as a strong man, full of valor, and grounded in Your truth.