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.

Big Bad Benjaminites! Part 1

Our current topic is characteristics of Biblical Heroes. We’ve looked at the lessons from the Gadites and determined that they scream out Personal Discipline. Let’s add to their foundational skeleton the meaty message from the boys of Benjamin. Here is the text.

“Now these were the men who came to David at Ziklag while he was still a fugitive from Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers in the war, armed with bows, using both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows with the bow. They were of Benjamin, Saul’s brethren.”  (1 Chronicles 12:1-2)

Unlike our previous examples (the Gadites) these Benjaminites are given much less ‘air time’ in the Word. Only a brief description is listed, but there are certain aspects that give us a clear picture of the Heroes’ Characteristic that is attributed to these 22 Benjaminites. One thing you pick up quickly from these two short verses is that they were Weapon’s Trained. The A-K 47’s of their day were arrows, swords, and stones. These guys had two of the three down very well!

I love the fact that these Benjaminites were not one-dimensional thinkers! They were not just good with their right hands, but were equally as dangerous with their left! They didn’t just knock you out with a perfectly thrown stone, they could bull’s eye an arrow right on your backside! These were very well trained militia, equally as dangerous when partially injured since you would have to take out both arms, not just one. Think about it, comfortable using both hands- the natural and the unnatural! To be even mildly adept at using your unnatural hand at anything requires an insane amount of practice.

I played basketball in my youth. One of the skills that we had to master was the ability to dribble with both hands and perform layups (the shots directly under the rim) with equal ability from either hand. If a guy shot a layup with his right hand from the left side of the basket he would hear about it even if it went in! It was imperative that we had a more versatile offensive weapon when close to the goal. I look like some kind of freak when I try to throw a football with my left hand because I never practiced that skill. However, I can still shoot a layup with my opposite hand best because of the loathsome training I was required to endure. Make no mistake, unnatural-handed training did not come easily to the Benjaminites, but it made them quite a formidable enemy. Being fully trained to use weapons from either hand made you much more of a threat and a desired ally.

Here is my point. According to Paul's Ephesians 6 description of our Spiritual Armor, the ONLY offensive weapon we carry is the "Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." WE MUST be trained, and I mean WELL trained, in the basics as well as the 'not-so-well-known' parts of this incredible Weapon. We must know and be able to use those parts that are "natural," popular and a natural fit for our personal giftedness and temperament. But we must also be trained in the parts that are obscure, unfamiliar to most, and not as "comfortable" with our personal wiring. Real heroes accept the challenge and make the difference so they can be effective at all times, regardless of the circumstances, climate, or environment. Train up, my good men, completely in the Holy Word.