Men Without Mission (Men, Avoiding the AWOL Life)
As I stated before, fewer and fewer men are attending church. I would also argue, that for the men that do, fewer of them actually embrace what is going on in the church. What’s the problem?
Men are mission oriented. A man without a mission is a man who will waste his life. He has no directive, no purpose, no goal, and no measure of accomplishment. But is it even possible for a man to assess himself as he is, in his current station in life, and to answer with confidence, “So far, have I done what I was born to do?” What’s a man’s mission anyway?
In 2 Timothy 4:7 Paul writes to Timothy, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” Paul, as a man, expressed not only confidence, but a total sense of accomplishment. “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day (2 Tim. 4:8a).” Paul goes further. He invites others into the same experience, “And not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing (2 Tim. 4:8b).”
Indeed Paul’s principle of the living a fulfilled life is not gender exclusive. Women should avoid living an AWOL life as well as men. I am not intending to exclude the women in the sense of suggesting that God has nothing for them, my intent here is merely to address the men. For men a sense of mission is critical. If a man loses his mission, he loses his sense of manhood. Paul was a man with a mission who went from an AWOL existence to living a life full of meaning, purpose, and a great sense of accomplishment as he looked forward to his reward.
How did Paul go from AWOL to living a life with a clear sense of purpose and a measurable sense of accomplishment?
More to come . . .
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