A Guest Post from Sarah at Faith Along the Way

Looking out my window, I see that spring has arrived.  I love watching new plants emerge from the soil and old favorites bloom after a season of dormancy.

Soon those fledgling plants will grow tall and strong, with a sturdy stem and deep, hearty roots.

With a little TLC, these plants can thrive, produce flowers, and can even create sturdy offspring as mirror images of themselves.

Just like those plants blossom; young, wild boys seem to grow in the blink of an eye.

Hopefully, like my tiny plants, boys will mature into men with deep roots of faith and a sturdy “stem” of biblical values.

But there’s an epidemic sweeping our world, one where the modern man is viewed as a weak, buffoon who can do little right.

Few TV shows and movies portray a dad who is strong, godly and isn’t weak in some way.

When the role of the father is downgraded and portrayed as a fool, it damages the family unit and God’s design for families.

God created man in His image, to guide the family unit with strength, dignity, and to be in charge as the head of household.

Man is to shepherd his family spiritually and to be an active participant in family life, not just provide financially.

This concept is far from popular, and if we’re honest, we’ll admit that man has strayed from God’s design.

How can we rally around men and change this pattern of society?

• While it might seem pie-in-the-sky to believe that we can change the course of a sinful, fallen world, we can take steps to encourage the men in our lives and in our community to be whom God created him to be, thus strengthening the family unit one man at a time.

We can start mending this epidemic, with support and encouragement from these three crucial communities.

Women can …

• Love her husband where he’s at, flaws and all.
• Recognize that she can not, no matter how much she wants to, change her husband.
• Don’t compare him to other men and embrace who he is as a person.
• Pray for salvation, in case he doesn’t know the Christ as Savior.
• Hit her knees and pray that God will grow her spouse, into a godly man who seeks the Lord.
• Encourage mentoring with a godly male who will hold him accountable to being a strong, godly husband and father.
• Allow him to lead the family, even if he’s fumbling through it.

 The family unit can….

When we look at men who are strong in faith, character, and in action, it didn’t happen by chance.

God got a hold of that man at some point in his life, and His Truth took root and blossomed in his heart.

When God’s Truth takes root, it changes a life and belief system, while calling for a change in behavior.

While there are many strong men with rough backgrounds, the family can try to raise a God-fearing man by encouraging strength from the Lord and by instilling His virtues from the beginning.  They can…

• Raise their sons in a Bible based home, while praying for salvation at an early age.
• Grow their boy with biblical principles and teach what the Bible says about being a man after God’s own heart.
• Offer a godly, male role model, even if the father is not one. Find a relative or friend from church to shepherd the young boy and demonstrate the life of a strong man of God in action.
• Be involved with putting limits on his time and activities, as to place value on time together.
• Outline Truth from God’s Word against the ways of society, such as pornography, so the child has a strong foundation in Christ to stand on when temptation comes.
• Offer a safe place to discuss temptation and sin, pointing back to the Word of God as the compass for life.

Men can…

• Embrace God’s calling on their life as the head of the house and spiritual leader of the family.
• Study God’s Word to be a living example to their children.
• Get to know their children and make them a priority.
• Put Christ at the center of the home with family devotional and prayer time.
• Allow the Holy Spirit to convict and change behavior as a relationship with the Lord deepens.
• Find a mentor and/or godly role models who aren’t afraid to speak Truth and offer accountability.
• Love their wife and show children how a strong, godly man treats a woman.

Friends, if I’m being honest, I look at this list and think, wow, is this possible?

And then I remember that with God, ALL things are possible!

God can take a broken, weak man, and refine His character.

God can strengthen the family unit as dads become aware of their role and pray for revival.

God can restore family relationships when He becomes the center of the home.

While we can’t change society or their warped views, we can vow to stop the epidemic of weak men in our own home and in our community.

We can rally around those men we see trying to lead their families and who are standing firm for Christian values, and we can offer a helping hand to those who are struggling.

Together, let’s spark a revival in the homes and churches around the world, reclaiming men as pillars of the home and creating strong families once again!  #strongfamilyproject