Men: Uniquely Qualified for Heroism

Serving strong, black coffee in a latte world is sometimes a bit awkward, but we men function best when we are honestly challenged not passively coddled. This is a cup of black, strong coffee intended to give us men a firm jolt. Let’s be honest, in our worst situations the best seems to pour out of us. Think of it, when times got a bit easy, David fell into temptation and sin. Before, he was facing impossible circumstances from enemies, both foreign and domestic, and that was when he shined the brightest, did the most, and accomplished unmatched feats of bravery and courage. We have not changed since that time. We men are equally at our best when the situation is at its darkest. The difference currently is that we are living like it is peacetime when there is a violent war going on all around us. If we would simply recognize this reality it would sober us to become what has been uniquely instilled in all of us – heroism. Gentlemen, we were made for this. Though the evidence is lived out in our military, fire, and police personnel daily, I will give you two physiological anomalies to prove my point.

First, look at how our minds are wonderfully designed to have ‘tunnel vision’ keeping us from realizing personal danger in order to reach a goal or take down an obstacle. It is a mental wiring that is not found in women. The adrenaline starts to flow and the lack of synapses connecting the left side of the brain with the right side of the brain (a condition not found in women) allows us to walk right into a burning building to save a total stranger while blocking the brain’s reasoning of the possible consequences of such a decision. Oh, don’t worry, women can mimic this action (especially when defending their children or family members) but every test will tell you that it is NOT natural. They have both sides of their brain firing at the same time, allowing them to think about the infinite possible scenarios thus hindering them from following through without great internal conflict. However, for men it comes as natural as breathing. It’s a phenomenon exclusively inherent to the male makeup and a requirement for heroes.

Second, the biological design of muscle fibers in the human body gives a dramatic advantage for men to be much stronger and perform much greater physiological exploits than our softer counterparts. Even Peter calls them “weaker vessels” in 1 Peter 3:7, and it had nothing to do with their spiritual, intellectual, or psychological comparisons. The most conservative estimates state that fiber per fiber man has roughly 50% more brute strength than woman. There may be women that are stronger than the average man, but if they were to be placed on a similar workout routine the average man would outpace the average woman at a rate of 3:1 simply because we are programmed for strength, while a woman is less so. The strongest and fastest women in the world will never be able to compete at the same level as the strongest and fastest men. We’re just built for strength and it, too, is a requirement for heroes.

When you add these two up it is plain to see that God gave us men the natural ability to overcome tremendous odds, to tackle impossible resistance, and to perform at a greater level. The real enemy is simply our self. We choose to be lazy, non-confrontational, and accepting the status quo because it is just much easier. But I ask you, why did God equip us for so much more? Why did He not give these characteristics to our women? WE need to engage in the battle! Lead out against the onslaught of biblical dilution, the epidemic of apathy, and the cultural move toward anti-Christianity. Either that or we could just order up another latte and get a mani pedi.

Against All Odds, Part 2

The title gives you a clue that we are looking at the topic of being “against all odds,” a rightful description of the hero in 2 Samuel 23 named Adino. He had the “Rambo” experience of facing down 800 Philistines at one time and he kick serious backside. If you have forgotten the story, it’s just below this blog. Let’s continue…

The characteristic necessary to advance someone to this level of heroism is simply tenacity. You see it in his resolve to not give up or give in to the pressure of the hordes of opponents coming at him. It is an uncommon characteristic unique to heroes – they just “hunker-down” and refuse to quit. It’s “to the death” and they have no intention of dying! They cannot look at the odds-maker’s report, the pundits, or the press, they are in this to win regardless of the personal sacrifice or the buckets of sweat required. You just can’t help but admire this characteristic even if you don’t like the guy. It’s very rare.

 

Unfortunately, we ARE in an “against all odds” scenario today. The church is now the underdog, the one the odds-maker is betting against. Looking at the current statistics in church growth and development clearly explains this paragraph more succinctly. We are now in the lower 30^th percentile in the nation. And that’s in the Bible belt! We are fighting uphill against immeasurable numbers and each year that continues to become more and more frightening. This once Judeo-Christian, ethically-focused land has all but abandoned her former cultural norm in favor of a more socially antagonistic mindset that blatantly stands against basic Christian doctrine and principles. Today it is at least 800 to 1, and we are looking more outnumbered every day. Get yourself in shape, mighty warriors, because the battle is just cranking up!

Adino is translated as "slender," or "spear." You would think it meant "super-buff, gun-show, or ripped," or something of that nature. However, it shows a principle that is a part of the true makeup of a hero of God - the power not found IN the man, but "WITHIN" the man! The power of Almighty God working through the natural fabric of a simple, slender man that has chosen to sharpen himself with the 'whet stone' of God's Word, making every strike with precision, not wasting effort or energy since the battle demands that he work on such a way so that he remains standing in the end. This is the Adino of today! This is the demand for men of God today! We need men with tenacity.

Against All Odds

Sorry I took a bit of a break from my blog. Selling a home, taking family vacation, and searching for a new place to live has rearranged my time. I'm back. Here is my next "Look at Godly Heroes."

“Against all odds!” I go nuts over a situation where an underdog is up against an overwhelming enemy and pulls out all the stops and wins the battle. It’s just a rush of testosterone to any man that reads, hears, or watches such a rare, nail-biting event. When we watch someone else face an “against all odds” experience it is very different than when we are personally involved. In the battle, you can’t see all the dynamics of the situation. You really don’t understand just how deep in the hole you are in, nor do you really care at that point. It’s all about survival, using your wits, tools, skills, and anything else you can grab to give you the edge. Well, brother, we are currently in an “against all odds” scenario – our most thorough population demographic research puts those of us that believe in Christ and support the ongoing work of His church in a position of minority status to the tune of about 38% to 62%. With these kinds of numbers the heroic characteristic that is needed today is Tenacity. The best guy to display this “against all odds” characteristic is the number one mighty man in David’s arsenal by the name of Adino. Take a look at the short passage of Scripture that describes this beast of a man.

 “These are the names of the mighty men whom David had; Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time.”  (2 Samuel 23:8 and 1 Chronicles 11:11)

 

 Talk about a “David vs. Goliath” event on a whole new level, wow, this Adino guy is unbelievable! Yes, David was the underdog, but gracious, he didn’t face 800 men at one time! What are the odds of facing 800 men and staying upright as the victor? Oh, that’s easy, it’s 800/1! But what would it take to engage in such a challenge? I believe it is tenacity. Few have it. Few have ever seen it in others. It’s a characteristic that turns a blind eye to the statistics, refuses to stop and think how unfair the situation, it simply visualizes what must be done next and slugs it out in spite of the pain or exhaustion. It doesn’t matter that the rules have changed, that the circumstances have become nightmarishly more difficult, you just throw yourself in the battle with only one thing on your mind – to win! 

 

We need godly men that can throw caution to the wind, trust God on an uncharted level, fling themselves into the fray expecting victory that will exalt the name of Christ and bring Him honor and glory. That is the sweetness of the reward to know that we will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Gadite Gridiron, Part 2

We concluded last segment that heroism is not just being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing. Most of our culture dictates that these are the key components, a kind of accidental hero, but a true hero is one that expends the energies, willingly withholds personal pleasures and comforts, and prepares himself for that “right place, right time, and right thing!” It’s not just a flash in the pan, a moment for greatness, but a mindset, an intentionality to be more, not to settle for ordinary. The ‘average’ person is quite content to be just status quo, your basic ‘average,’ and the pressures to be such start quite early unfortunately. As parents we want our kids to fit in, be accepted, and avoid obvious criticism from their peers, and unconsciously we press them into a mold that says, “Don’t strive to be greater!” From our beginnings we are programmed to NOT become heroes!

As we continue to study the Gadites, (refer to previous blog) the main ingredient they seemed to display was personal discipline, demonstrated in their crossing the flooded Jordan. Look at the description of these men. “Mighty men of valor” is a phrase used about 30 times in the Old Testament to describe a “man’s-man” type of warrior. Though the phrase is also used to describe some of Israel’s enemies, it is used enough to give you the mental picture of a chiseled, elite military leader that has laser focus and acuity. The fact that these guys were all “leaders of hundreds, leaders of thousands,” reveals that they had leadership mentalities even if they lacked natural leadership qualities. The famous Shakespeare quotation, “Some men are born for greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them,” helps to describe the readiness of these men of valor. It says they had “faces like the faces of lions.” If you watch a lion pursuing its prey the eyes never leave the target. These characteristics of focus, determination, leadership, and tenacity are the necessary ingredients for personal discipline.

We must have a new breed of spiritual heroes. Our young men gravitate to sports superstars, fictional characters, and Hollywood idols for their heroes. Oh, dear friends, we must create an atmosphere and training ground for developing and modeling spiritual heroes especially in the day when the enemy is mounting such a furious attack on all that is moral, wholesome, and right. We must put away the selfish fulfillments that give only fleeting, immediate pleasure and set our sights on the unbelievable, impossible, uncharted goals of righteousness with bravery. We must take back the ground that we gave to the enemy that now controls our political institutions, educational halls, and even in some of our churches. If you have lost the vision, given up, or just got too tired of the pain and have backed down or backed out, I implore you to take a deep breath, muster up all the courage you can, and make a focused plan of attack. Start by getting on your knees and thanking God that He made you to be a man, a leader, an example, a hero. Ask Him to supernaturally fill you with a drive you’ve never had, to give you a fresh vision of what He desires to do in your church, community, and beyond. Start NOW. See yourself as a spiritual hero for such a time as this. Let’s cross our flooded Jordan!