Guys don’t be fooled by the culture. Men have a huge
responsibility that no one else can take on. The role you play as a man is
important for the safety and well-being of the people you care about.
1 Corinthians 16:13-14 talks about five roles that men need
to take on for the good of their families and churches (well, not just men, but
we men can learn from it). These roles are things only men can do in the way
that God designed men, because we are different than women. No one else can
fill these roles like you can, in the place God has you. So, step up proudly,
knowing that the job is meant for you and that the people you love are
depending on you.
Here’s the five things no one else can do like men but men…
1.
Watch out for enemies!
2.
Stand up strong!
3.
Be brave, play the man!
4.
Have heart! (strong in mind and spirit)
5.
Have a will to love!
Let me focus on the first one…
Let me tell you a story. When I was younger, a friend of mine owned a punk clothing store and asked me to help out. My job was to make sure the displays were neat, run the register, and just keep an eye on things. It was a second job for me, and at that time, I wasn’t getting enough sleep because I stayed out late.
A couple of months later, my friend called me to come to the
store to talk. I didn’t think much of it at first. But when I got there, she
was upset and through her tears asked, “Are you in on it?” I was completely
confused. Then she showed me a video of me sleeping behind the register while
two people were stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of stuff. I couldn’t
believe it!
My friend didn’t turn me in to the police, but I still lost the job and, sadly, that friendship. It was a painful lesson in responsibility. I learned the hard way how important it is to pay attention, duty, and how my laziness can affect others.
In military service, if you are on watch, you are expected
to devote 100% of your attention to the guard you have been assigned. Whatever
the watch, whether security, communications, operations, etc. you need to be
alert. If you fail, the consequences are serious, not just for you, but for
your teammates if you’ve left them exposed to an enemy threat. Lives are at
stake, potentially even national security.
1 Corinthians talks about threats to the church and to our
lives. In 1 Peter 5:8, it says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy, the
devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” There
are all kinds of threats around us—bad influences, harmful habits, and ways of
thinking that can confuse the Gospel and what matters most. Just like a lion
stalking its prey, the enemy looks for a way to separate someone from the
group, to make them vulnerable. That’s when they attack.
So, what keeps us awake as we stand watch for the enemy of our, and our loved ones, souls?
The answer is simple: the gospel. In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul writes, "For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures." The most important thing to remember is that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again. Everything in life should be measured by this truth. What in your life or the lives of those you love is working as a distraction from that truth? The enemy wants to separate you or those you care about from the love and truth of Jesus. Are you watching out for them, or are you asleep behind a cash register just as I was years ago?
To stay focused, we need to follow Paul’s advice. We need to
stand strong in faith and confront the things in ourselves and our loved ones
that make us weak. We will need courage to speak up, to call out the things the
set themselves against Jesus and truth, and we need the strength to fight for
what is right. And all of this for a decision to love. A firm decision that we want
the best for those under our watch. If we don’t, who will? The enemy is looking
for the weak and unprotected, take your place as a man, even when it’s unwanted,
and be a good watchman.
