Weakness, fear and a profound lack of faith drive us back to the grave for the familiar things that require little or no real commitment or accountability or cost to us. We remain like grasshoppers in the sight of the giants (weakness, fear and a lack of faith) in the land.
It is not really how the giants see us but rather, how we see ourselves as grasshoppers. Men are ineffective in Church because we are most likely ineffective many other places. We can’t blame all of our ills on the pastor although many pastors do have a hand in the emasculation of the men in their congregations.
God has clearly delineated who we are to Him, how He views us, what our assignments are in the earth and how to get it done! The only possible way to miss what God is saying to you is to IGNORE it!
So when the mandate comes down from the Father to go into the marketplace and make disciples, you ignore the declaration and instead you go get your shovel, pick axe and flashlight and head back to the graveyard.
Under the cloak of darkness you plop down in your easy chair of complacency and open a cold one while letting out a sigh of relief thinking you have escaped once again.
You have redefined the term slothfulness. It doesn’t mean lazy and lethargic or slow moving. In the spiritual sense, it means, being busy doing everything other than what God has called you to do! Let me make it plain so a third grader can’t miss this. Stop going to the grave yard! If you are not trying to change your lifestyle you are wasting your time.
The spirit of distraction wants you to focus on your problems rather than your destiny. Herein lays the power of your testimony that others hear and will know through the manifestation of your life that God has truly shown you great mercy.
A man is always going to be faced with the prospect of being the spiritual, physical and financial covering for his family and this responsibility will not defer to the pastor of the church he attends. The pastor may try to sway his wife through emotionalism and fear of reprisal for not tithing, but if a man is worth his salt, he is going to take care of his family first! Now I know that ain’t popular preaching, but I know for a fact that there are many men who are reading this article who have been confronted with this situation and struggled with the agonizing decision of paying his tithes versus having his lights turned off.
This inept feeling for a man runs even deeper because, in addition to having the responsibility of caring for the immediate needs of his family, he has to also prepare for the future financial stability of his wife and children some might refer to as a "legacy."
Coupled with double digit national unemployment and the worst economic climate in almost 30 years, men are inching closer and closer to financial disaster. The reality of the matter is a that a man who has been unable to find a job and is running out of unemployment benefits or has run out of extensions to his benefits and supplements his benefits with some sort of hustle including a cash-only gig like cutting grass, painting, trash removal, etc. is going to feed his family and, in many instances, his financial obligation to the church takes a back seat.
It may not sit well with many religious folks, but my vote is always going to be that a man should take care of his family. End of story.
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