Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

My heart goes out to a generation of boys who have grown up not knowing what a man is or how even to become one. I fear for this next generation of young men. So lost in the concepts and cultures of this world that they can't see that the past is being repeated in front of them. The very causes of their own pain and struggle as children is bring repeated in their own lives. The same mistakes. The same lusts and poor decisions based on emotions have them trapped into settling for a life sub-par from what God has in store for them.

I was raised by a Paradox of a man. My father is a good man. I've never met a more caring and loving father. I could tell you from the time I could speak that my daddy loved me. He would move heaven and earth to see me safe. Nothing was above giving up for his children. Nothing. He taught me how to treat a lady, that they are to protected and looked after. And yet, he fell short in treating them as a wife. He failed utterly as a husband. It wasn't because he was unfaithful, or because he didn't care for or love them. But he was a hurt man and because he wasn't whole, he could never hope to be a part of a whole marriage. He was trapped by his owns lusts and confusion likely set before him by his own father and yet by some miracle always remained faithful to his wife.

I never had a mother. There was no one to take care of me, hold on to me or teach me what a lady was like. They were always a confusing and allusive creature to me and because of that, I tried very hard to exclude myself from them. Yet, some part of me knew it was my responsibility to look out for them. I was always the boy in class who spoke up when a girl was being picked on, when a boy was being rude. When I was in high school, I was considered the group "mom" who always spoke out against derogatory or base remarks from the other young men. Many a time I would get into fights and arguments with other boys over such things. Its how my father taught me. To stand up against what I believed was wrong and to do what was right no matter the personal cost.

By high school my exclusion from girls turned like most young men into a curiosity. My experience however taught me that there is a difference from girls and women.

When Christ entered my life, my ideas of manhood where utterly overthrown. And yet, principles that my father instilled in me flourished. I began to learn how much work it truly is, the responsibility .. the disciple required to fulfill the position.

As I have grown I have seen many young boys around me fall short. I don't say this in a judgmental way of their lack of discipline or their failure despite effort. But rather out of a lack of effort. They aren't trying. This is obviously a blanket statement and certainly doesn't apply to a select few. I have met many young men in my walk that have humbled me utterly with their conviction. However there are many to whom manliness is a forgotten ideal. It breaks my heart and in many cases frankly infuriates me. One day I will be a husband and a father and to see young men act the way that they do makes me sick. There is no respect for purity or lady-like behavior. There is no discipline for emotional and financial stability. Weak men create a weak culture.

And so I find myself more and more wishing to tell the young boys I meet one thing:

Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13