Author Gary W. Keller stated this
about a balanced life: “Work is a rubber
ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls - family,
health, friends, and integrity - are made of glass. If you drop one of these,
it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered.” As Mr. Keller states some things in life
don't bounce back like a rubber ball when we drop them, they get scuffed,
nicked or even shattered.
One of the areas in our lives that
have been shattered is our relationship with the Lord. Men are no longer
leaders in spiritual matters; we no longer take the forefront in leading our
families, nation, and church to the Lord. This lack of spiritual leadership has
created an unbalance in our society.
Women are raising sons and daughters who have no concept or idea of what
it is to be loved by a father or an example of what a real father should be.
The ancient Hebrew writer and prophet
by the name of Joel wrote the following about the last days:
“It will
come about after this; That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons
and daughters will prophesy, Your old men will dream dreams, Your young men
will see visions. “Even on the male and female servants, I will pour out My
Spirit in those days."
Joel 2:28-29
(NASB)
Did you notice the balance in the
outpouring of God's Spirit in the text - "sons and daughters" and "male
and female"? If you remove man out of the equation, there is no
balance. While women may be more sensitive to Spirit of God, they do not
receive more of God’s Spirit than men, it is an equal outpouring. It may be
that men may have removed themselves from the equation, and as a result our
society, our country, and the world are out of balance. Did you also notice
that the text emphasizes the role of the man? The text specifically mentions,
"old men will dream dreams." Where are the dreamers? It would appear as if old men only reminisce
about the past and are not dreamers, and "young men" are not
visionaries, but only live in the moment. It is time to restore the balance.
The first place men need to restore
the balance is in our personal walk with the Lord. It is time for us to take
back our rightful places as spiritual leaders for our families, nation, the
world and the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Let's commit to doing the following so
that we may begin to restore the balance:
1. Let's start by repenting and turning our face
to the Lord in prayer.
"The
sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.
You will
not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."
Psalms 51:17
(NLT)
"In
every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God,
free from anger and controversy."
1 Timothy 2:8
(NLT)
2. After repenting - ask your families,
friends, and church to forgive you for your shortcomings and neglect of your
role in spiritual matters.
"The
Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues
those whose spirits are crushed."
those whose spirits are crushed."
Psalms 34:18
(NLT)
3. Promise to take your place in your
home, church, community, and the world and become the man God destined you to
be.
"But
there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the
head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God."
1 Corinthians
11:3 (NLT)
4. Continue to excel, grow and become
the man God has called you to be, by devoting yourself to prayer - personal and
corporate study of the Word of God.
"Work
hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good
worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word
of truth."
2 Timothy 2:15
(NLT)
5. Commit to mentor, father, teach and
lead other men to become the man God has destined them to be.
"Until
I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the
believers, and teaching them."
1 Timothy 4:13
(NLT)
Remember the balance can only be
restored when man takes his place and becomes all that God has destined him to
be!
It's time to restore the balance!
Be Blessed,
Your Iron Coach
Bishop Roberto Jemmott
