Consider…
King David, while a “man after God’s heart”, suffered significant moral failure. When faced with temptation, he, not unlike us, had the option to chose righteousness or evil. David even had a man question his desire to have Bathsheba brought to him, saying, in essence, that he was purposing to commit adultery with another man’s wife (2 Sam. 11:3). But even with the benefit of wise counsel from another man, David foolishly went forward and fulfilled the lust of his flesh. It wasn’t until after a season of spiritual rebellion estrangement that the prophet Nathan confronted the wayward king. Nathan shared a parable that summarized David’s egregious sin, causing the king to seethe with rage. It was at that point that Nathan equated the villain in the story, the one with whom the king had become incensed, with David himself. In its first and most powerful usage, Nathan proclaimed to David, “You are the man!” (2 Sam. 12:7) Only after a faithful man of God confronted him with his sin did David understand what he had truly done, and repent. Guys, we need men in our lives to encourage us to “be the man” when we are planning and striving to do what is right, or discourage us when we aren’t. We also need men to exhort us with “you are the man” when we practice righteousness, and to compassionately but firmly say the same when we have transgressed, and need to be challenged in an area of sin.
Pray…
Because open rebuke is better than hidden love, and faithful are the wounds of a friend, humble me before the Spirit-filled counsel of wise men. Where there is no guidance, a people falls, so provide for me safety in the abundance of counselors. If I wander from the truth, bless me with someone to bring me back, and make me faithful and obedient to do the same for a brother, knowing that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. Equip me to encourage and build another up, and equip others to do the same for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
(Pro. 27:5-6, Pro. 11:14, James 5:19-20, 1 Thes. 5:11)
We may be our own worst enemies…
It took awhile, but I found a clip without offensive language that epitomizes both a man’s need for a voice of reason, and the scarcity of that voice. Guys could literally spend all day watching other guys doing stupid things, and instead of being horrified by their cavalier attitudes towards life and limb, we laugh either at them, or with them, knowing that “there but for the grace of God go I”. So either enjoy this clip, or grimace at the results, or both. You’re welcome.