This week while in an extended conversation with a church member somehow the subject came up just what I am attempting to accomplish in my own life as I pastor this small church where I have been camped for ten years. Without much thought I heard myself say, “I want to be a man of God.”
Hmmm?
Even now as I write those words, man of God, they seem strange and boastful. Strange because I wonder what a man of God looks like -- I’m certainly not one -- and boastful because to offer this as a raison d'être for one’s existence seems on the face of it haughty.
Since then I’ve given the idea of a man of God some thought, and though I’m still far from conclusions I think a man of God -- like David -- is a man after God’s own heart, like Abraham is faithful, like Daniel is courageous, and like Barnabas is consoling. These men and their controlling characteristics are mere metaphors, however, pointing at some such life that puts God first, and as such they present us with possible steps upon which to walk through the narrow gate (Mt.7:14).
Putting God first? The celibate priest, of course, has a leg up here because his vocation allows him this latitude. I suspect, however, that allowance does not always lead to action. For men with a vocation of marriage we seem to start from the jump with divided loyalties. Whom will we serve? God or family? It is only when we realize that we serve God by serving our families that this twisted conflict is settled in our minds if not in real-time.
Whatever else this means, it certainly must mean that the man with a family vocation takes seriously the responsibility of leading his family toward daily putting God first, where together they work (and make no mistake it is work) to allow God to be the center of family life.
Putting God first also involves, inevitably, a rich, deep and prolonged life of prayer. There is no other way. If fact, this may actually be the key. How else will an intimate and healthy relationship with the Almighty develop within someone like me, someone bent on his own will, his own way and his own destruction?
I appreciate your openness and humility. I think that is one of the things that (at least for me) would classify you as a man of God. This post is a great reminder of the kinds of things that we should be focusing on to be everything that God has called us to be. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteDan King
That is definitely a deep thing to contemplate, but my first thought is of Elijah. Throughout Kings, he is referred to a "the man of God", yet in James 5 we are told, he was a "man just like us". To me, that brings the bar down a bit - so to speak.
ReplyDeleteIn my own life, I spend lots of time studying the Bible with my wife, whose first language is Spanish. In Spanish, it would be "hombre de Dios" and if we translated from that to English most people would just say, "God's Man"... I know it's sounds like symantics but this thinking helps me. It's God who owns the man, not the man who becomes God's. We belong to Him if we in Jesus. We don't need to achieve any state of being, be like any "holy man" of old... we just need to BE HIS!
Does this make sense to you?
Live, love, work, pray. Acknowledge Him in all your ways. In everything, even eating or drinking, do all to His glory. It is not so hard as we think. It is walking with Him by way of His Spirit, by way of His Son.
ReplyDeleteThanks all for the comments and for taking the time to read and think through what was written.
ReplyDeletebibledude is correct, i think, in saying that humility is the key (which is no where near part of my life). but, to this end may i recommend a small book by André Louf called, The Way of Humility. Outstanding.
poli-theo's distinction between the God who owns women and men and the man who becomes God’s is interesting. this makes sense as long as we also know we have things to do as well -- that we are partners with God (e.g.Ro.12:21). said another way, in my limited experience, God gives grace for us to change and to become His woman or man, and we must cooperate with grace and act.
kelly boils it down to the bone, huh? she may be right, it may be just that easy. perhaps i'm my own worst enemy -- it wouldn't be the first time!
Nice post, thanks for sharing this wonderful and useful information with us.
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