Standards, struggles, systems.
GOD ESTABLISHED his hierarchy through the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:3. God is the head of Christ, Christ is the head of man and man, is the head of woman. Every man was created to be a warrior, to be a leader, to be the solution to the problems in the earth. When a man is not able to function in this capacity, he becomes unhappy and frustrated. Sadly, the consequences in most instances find him wasting his time and getting involved in selfdestructive situations such as gangs, crime and violence, drugs, sexual immorality, to name just a few. He knows the right thing but it doesn’t seem attainable.
So, there’s a conflict and a struggle within the mind of man. He must fight to overcome his struggles; he must become a warrior and fight for fulfilment of his purpose as mandated by God! The good news is, he can be! It is his nature! He was created to be a warrior, the priest, provider and protector of his family. I propose what I call the three ‘Ss’ that will enable man to become the warrior he was created to be: Standard, Struggle and System.
1. Standard – God has given us a standard
We must be perfect (mature) as our Heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). This is not an easy task, but we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In 1 Timothy 3:17 and Titus 1:6-9, Paul highlights some of the qualities that the man of God is expected to have in order to conform to God’s standard. He says if a man desires to be a bishop (leader, overseer, influencer, husband, father), he desires a good work. He must be blameless, husband of one wife (one burner), vigilant (watchful), sober (good judgement), of good behaviour, given to hospitality, able to teach, not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre (money obtained dishonestly), patient, not a brawler (one who participates in a rough or noisy fight or quarrel), not covetous, one that rules his own house well and having his children in subjection with all gravity.
That’s a seemingly hard task, but this is God’s standard. This is what the man of God must look like. Are you living by God’s standard? What areas do you need to work on? Start the work now.
2. Struggle – Every one of us has a struggle
Most men struggle in their finances, but I reassure you that you can get to a place where money is not an issue. You can get to that place through Jesus Christ where you attract money
“Even though the struggle may cause discomfort, please know that we need the struggle. It refines us to become like our Heavenly Father”
instead of pursuing it. See Psalm 112:3 and Isaiah 45:3.
Most men struggle with their marriages, but I reassure you that you can have a successful and happy marriage. See Mark 10:9; and Ecclesiastes 9:9.
Most men struggle with sexual sins, but I reassure you that you can reach the place of sexual purity, presenting your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. See Romans 12:1-2.
Most men struggle to raise their children, but I reassure you that you can become good, godly fathers. See Proverbs 17:6 and Malachi 4:6.
What is your struggle today? Even though the struggle may cause discomfort, please know that we need the struggle. It refines us to become like our Heavenly Father. Discomfort is your best friend! James 1:2-4 tells us to “count it all joy when we fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”. Don’t take any shortcuts to get out of the struggle because God is using the struggle to process you.
Be reassured also by 2 Corinthians 1:3-5. Our Heavenly Father, the God of all comfort, promises in this text to provide comfort to us in ALL tribulations so that we will be able to comfort others who are going through similar situations. What an assurance! The struggle is not just for you, my friend! You must overcome so that you can help others to overcome also. 3. System
In order to overcome the struggle there must be a system in place. You cannot expect to get a different result if you keep doing the same things. “If you keep doing the same things you’ve always done, you’ll keep getting the same results you’ve always gotten” (Henry Ford). Things happen automatically when there is a system in place. A good system includes:
The Word
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that the Word of God has four benefits:
Doctrine – it teaches us. Reproof – it shows us our faults. Correction – it helps us to admit our mistakes and fix them.
Instruction – it gives us instructions to help us live a righteous life.
Faith
Faith comes by hearing the word and it is the substance of the things we hope for and the evidence of things not seen. We must stay in faith because without faith we cannot please God and we cannot receive from Him. We must constantly work at overcoming our struggles and believe that God will help us to do so.
Fasting and Prayer
Man must live a life of fasting and praying without ceasing as demonstrated by Jesus. This is the key to access our blessings in the supernatural realm and cause them to manifest in the natural realm.
Every man is called to be a warrior, must become a warrior and can become a warrior. He needs God’s Standard, a Struggle to process and refine him; and a System to help him overcome the struggles and help others to overcome also. This may require a mentor: someone who has gone through the Struggle, who became aware of the Standard and committed to maintain it; who put a System in place; and who has overcome and is now where you want to go. Do you have a mentor? Get one today.