I need a mission…

This might a guy thing… a general hardwired part of the male brain and heart.

I’m trying to learn what it means to be a man from God’s perspective.

All throughout the Word there are both positive and negative examples of manhood.

There were great men.

There are great men who fell.

Men who were fallen who rose to greatness.

And that whole concept of “greatness” is so abstract.

What I - and the society I live in - had branded as greatness before I started following Jesus was very empty.

I was looking for “greatness” in my work and personality.

But character, integrity, courage, servanthood, a lover of people, leadership, sacrifice… those were the things that I failed to see were of true value in this life… those attributes make a man of God.

Two of Jesus’s disciples asked, “Can we be seated at your right and left hand in heaven?”

This question actually created contention with the other disciples.

Jesus said, “the one who would be considered greatest is the person who serves everyone.”

His exact words (in certain translations) were “slave of all.”

“Slave” = general servant/workman back in that day.

Pretty evocative statement, though. Being a “slave to all” or willing to serve… anyone and everyone.

THAT is the kind of man that the Lord and Jesus said is the greatest.

So, the question is then… what does that look like? In the day to day?

At this juncture in my life, overspiritualizing is out the door.

In the past I would have burned myself out trying to help everyone out of a sense of legalistic moralistic obligation and lip service.

Being able to help anyone, though…

Rising to the occasion when there is a need,

Being willing to inconvenience yourself for someone else’s good,

Giving of your “substance”…your resources, your time, your money…

Those are just practical examples. They’re simple and applicable.

For the Christ-follower, the mission is the Kingdom of God. Building the Kingdom first and foremost above all things.

It’s loving the broken. It’s helping people in need.

It’s helping people find hope.

THAT’S what I’m working for and fighting for.

But also, there are stakes. What are the negative consequences of not working? Not fighting?

There are negative consequences… we’ve got to remember that too.

There are consequences to doing nothing.

It’s a fight to remember. It’s a fight to put yourself aside.

Self-denial…dying to self…taking up one’s cross… looking at others’ needs before my own…

It’s all hard.

But, this is the road of following Jesus. It’s a far better road than the one I was on.

God, help me remember the mission. Help me remember what I’m fighting for.